


Killing Mists

by DRWest



Series: Mistborn - The other Side of the Coin [3]
Category: Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2014-10-10
Packaged: 2018-02-11 05:55:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 113,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2056326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DRWest/pseuds/DRWest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a long and cumbersome journey, Alana and her people finally arrive in South Searan. But instead of finding a peaceful place to live, they are confronted with ignorance, hatred and death. And as if that isn't enough, the mists steal more and more daylight until eventually the whole area is permanently covered. Does an old tale help them survive?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am no native speaker, so please be so kind to ignore my mistakes.
> 
> Book 3 "Killing Mists" plays about the time of "Mistborn: The Hero of Ages" but mostly in South Searan, showing the impact of the events on the "Legacy" and "A World in Turmoil" characters there.

### » 1 «

   
Deep hanging clouds darkened the sky, and slush made the ground slippery. The carriage, four carts and ten riders moved along the wide road through the forest. The road wasn't maintained and the slush was mixed with soil and foliage from the last autumn. This all in combination made for terrible travelling conditions. The riders had decided to dismount and lead the horses. Else they would risk a broken leg and thereby to lose a horse. And by now it was almost impossible to just buy a new horse in the next town or village, at least in the Central Dominance. They could be happy when they found a village that wasn't rampaged by koloss or suppressed by some warlord.  
Fortunately it wasn't necessary to hide as much as on their way to Luthadel. Back then they had been only five people and Alana the only Pewterarm, although Ash knew how to fight as well and he was even without pewter a dangerous opponent. This time they had a carriage and carts. It was hard to hide while travelling with such vehicles, anyway. But fortunately they now were six Pewterarms, what meant a small army that easily could fight a far larger group.  
Alana walked next to the carriage and led her horse. That way she was able to talk to her husband. _My husband!_ That thought made her smile. It hadn't been a large ceremony and Ham and her family hadn't been around, unfortunately. But she was married to the man she loved. And that made her happy.  
"What are you smiling about?" Dockson asked.  
She looked at him and her smile deepened. "I am married to you."  
"Yes, you are." He returned her smile.  
"It feels good."  
"I hope so."  
She chuckled and looked at the sky.  
"The weather seems to get worse," Dockson said.  
She nodded. "I was hoping for an early spring. If it goes on that way we will find snow in South Searan."  
"Snow? At this time of the year? I mean, we still have to travel more than two months."  
"We often have lots of snow. It is good for the crops. It protects the young plants."  
"I thought the winters in the South are less harsh."  
"They are. We don't have such chilly weather like in the Central Dominance. During my first winter in Luthadel I thought I would freeze to death."  
"That was before you Snapped?"  
She nodded. "Pewter is really comfortable during the winter."  
"I always envied Ham. I was freezing despite shirt, vest, coat and thick cloak and he still was wearing a vest only." He snorted.  
Alana laughed quietly and grew silent then. "I miss him," she said after a while. "I have never realized how much I miss him when he is not around."  
"You two were really close."  
She nodded. "Guess last time it was covered by my yearning for you. And then I had Ash again and my family and finally Enya." She glanced at the sky again. "I hope we will see them again, Mardra and him."  
Dockson didn't answer. He frowned at the surrounding forest. It was impenetrable due to lots of shrubs. The bad weather didn't help.  
"Something wrong?" she asked.  
"I don't know. Call it a bad feeling."  
"You have your daggers?"  
He nodded.  
Alana let herself fall behind the carriage until she was abreast to Kayla's cart. "Kay, check the surroundings," she said under her breath.  
She could see how her friend concentrated. Then she grew stiff. "We got company," she replied quietly.  
"How many?"  
"A lot. Perhaps two dozen." Kayla looked at her. "Shall I warn?"  
Alana nodded.  
Kayla's whistle came loud and keen. Immediately the whole group froze. A moment later the carts and the carriage moved together, producing a circle. The children and women hid inside while those who could fight formed a defence ring around them.  
"Oh, come on. That's mean. We'd prepared such a nice ambush," a voice called out of the shrubs.  
A man with a scraggy beard appeared. His clothing, a buttoned shirt, dull trousers and a coat, was tattered several times and stained. Additionally, the man didn't seem to be very fond of personal hygiene. Alana didn't have to be a Tineye to see the rash in his face and on his throat. Other men in rugged clothing emerged from the surrounding forest. She counted nineteen.  
Della, who stood next to Alana, shrugged. "Your problem, not ours," she said.  
"Ah, such a fine bunch of a travelling party. Travellers got rare these days, especially women. Guess we will have lots of fun." The man with the scraggy beard, apparently the leader of the bandits, laughed.  
"How many are you? Twenty?" Alana turned to Della. "Twenty against six of us, pretty unfair I think."  
"It's their decision." She shrugged.  
"Do you think we should warn them?"  
"Hum, they look like they could use a reality check."  
Out of the corner of her eye Alana could see that some of the bandits shared confused looks. Even their leader frowned.  
"What are you talking about?" he finally asked.  
"We think it is rather unfair to have twenty of you against us."  
He smiled viciously. "Of course it is."  
"He doesn't get it," Della said. "He's too stupid to check it."  
The leader growled. "I'm not stupid." He turned to his men. "That one will be mine. I'll be 'specially nice to her." He smirked at Della.  
"See, I told you," she just said.  
Alana sighed. "I don't like it." She shook her head. She didn't want to fight. Fighting meant hurting and probably killing. She was a healer. She had sworn to help people, not to hurt them. At least they should warn them. "How many Allomancers do you have?" she asked.  
The man frowned at her. "Allomancers? You're kidding. Do we look like nobility?"  
"But you _do_ know what Allomancers are, don't you?"  
His frown deepened. "Of course I do."  
"And you _do_ recognize if you face a _Thug_?" On purpose she used the term that was more common among the skaa than Pewterarm.  
"Boss," one of his men hissed. "Most of them don't wear cloaks or coats. It's damn freezing. But they don't seem to be cold." His voice trembled. The man obviously was afraid.  
"Shut up! They are still outnumbered," the leader snapped.  
"One Thug can take five of us easily," the man said nevertheless. "And they are at least six."  
"I said, shut up!" The leader turned angrily and knocked his man to the ground.  
The bandit rubbed his chin. "I'd like to live." He jumped to his feet and dashed off.  
 _Okay, one less_ , Alana thought.  
"Anyone else a coward?" he snapped at his men.  
"Oh, come on. He was right and you know that," Alana fed up. "We aren't just six Thugs. We have fought koloss and survived." She could see the sudden terror in some faces.  
 _That means they have seen koloss already_ , she thought.  
"She is just trying to intimidate us," the leader called out.  
"No, I am just trying to prevent a massacre. I have seen enough corpses lately."  
Four more men turned and dashed off. _Down to fourteen._  
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Ash smile.  
"Ah, come on, Al. Stop that. Now it _really_ is unfair," Della said.  
Two more men dashed off.  
"I know," she replied. "But I told you I hate to fight. I had enough of it."  
"What would the Survivor think if he heard you talking like that?"  
"Kelsier? Della, they are _skaa_. I doubt Kell would like ifI started to kill skaa."  
A whisper went through the bandits. Another three men dashed off. _Down to nine._  
Alana heard a quiet chuckle from behind. She glanced at the carriage. She barely saw Dockson in the darkness of the vehicle but his teeth were visible. He was grinning broadly.  
"Al, I count nine," Ash said loud. "That means we are even now."  
"After all they are bandits," Della mentioned. "I doubt Kell would mind."  
"Perhaps. But probably they worked for Dox. You know he liked to hire them for general confusion." Alana turned to the leader. "Did you work for Master Dockson?"  
Two more dashed off.  
"Seven!" Ash simply mentioned.  
"Okay, you really can spoil all the fun, Al," Della sighed. "But wait a minute. Didn't that guy say he wanted me?"  
Alana nodded.  
Della grinned. A moment later she rushed over to the leader with pewter enhanced speed. Her fist crashed into his stomach and a second later into his face. The bandit went down and didn't move anymore.  
"I'd suggest you carry him away before I lose my temper," Della just said and walked back to Alana.  
"Was that really necessary?"  
She shrugged. "He would have lost his face if he had retreated. Now he just has a broken nose and a nice bruise."  
Alana rolled her eyes and turned to the remaining bandits. "I give you an advice. That rash will spread when you don't start to clean yourself. And trust me there are certain body parts where you guys definitely don't want to have it. Dig up some Maron roots and squeeze the juice out of it. Rub it on the rash _after_ you have cleaned yourself. It will help."  
The bandits grabbed their leader and disappeared in the forest.  
Della looked at her in disbelief. "You didn't just tell them how to get rid of that rash? They tried to rob and rape us."  
"That's Ally. Get used to it," Ash called out to her, grinning.  
The Thug rolled her eyes. "Okay, let's go on," she said. "We still have a couple hours."  
Alana smiled and walked over to the carriage.  
Dockson leaned out of the window. He grinned broadly. "You're unbelievable. I've never seen someone _talk_ bandits out of an attack."  
"I am afraid it will not help always." She gave him a kiss.  
Wilson climbed the driver's seat. He smiled at her. Alana smiled back.  
"Did you know that Della is kind of the leader of Ham's Pewterarms?" she asked Dockson.  
He shook his head. "I know Ham thought highly of her. Guess the leading comes with being a female Thug."  
Alana sighed. "I don't like to be a leader."  
"You don't?" He raised his eyebrows incredulously.  
She looked at him, frowning. "Just because I _have_ _to be_ a leader, doesn't mean that I like it," she said quietly.  
The trek set into motion. Alana fetched the reins of her horse and walked on.  
   


### » 2 «

   
Mardra steadied herself at the table. The whole day already she had problems with her balance. She closed her eyes and breathed steadily until she felt better.  
"Mom, you okay?" Kopal asked.  
"I'm fine, Sweetheart."  
The boy frowned. Finally he shook his head and dashed out of the room.  
Mardra sighed. The boy was as stubborn as his father. The thought made her smile, nonetheless. She decided to sit down for a moment.  
It took about ten minutes until Kopal returned with his father.  
"Mardra, what happened?" Ham asked and squat in front of her.  
"I'm fine, Ham."  
"No, you aren't."  
She didn't even have the slightest chance to protest. He simply lifted her from the chair and brought her to their sleeping room. Carefully he laid her down on the bed.  
"I go and get one of the healers," he said.  
"Ham, I said I am fine."  
"If Ally were here, would you say that too?" He frowned at her but she didn't reply. "Have you seen a healer _once_ since she is gone?"  
Mardra looked away.  
"I thought so. And don't tell me that _I_ am stubborn. You are worse."  
"Ham, I---"  
"No, Mard. Al has told you to see a healer regularly."  
"Yes, but she didn't tell me _how_ regularly. I am fine. I just have a little problem with my balance. That is normal during a pregnancy."  
"Has a healer confirmed that?"  
She just sighed and rolled her eyes.  
Ham left the room again without another word. She knew he would go and get a healer. She sighed another time and sat. Again the room started to spin around her.  
 _Perhaps I should rest a couple minutes_ , she thought and lay down again.  
   
When Ham returned to his quarters he found her on the bed where he had put her before. She seemed to sleep. One of Elend's healers followed him into the room.  
"Mardra?" He touched her gently to wake her up, but she didn't respond. "Mardra, I got a healer to look after you." He shook her more powerful, but still no response.  
"Let me, please." The healer shoved him aside. He checked her eyes. "How I thought. She is unconscious."  
"What?" Ham stood, shocked. "What does that mean?"  
"Please, wait outside. I will check her."  
"What? No! I want to stay."  
"Let me do my work and wait _outside_!"  
The man shoved him out of the room. Ham could have burned pewter to resist but he was too confused to think clearly. The healer closed the door.  
Ham started to pace around, nervous, with sweaty hands.  
"What's wrong with Mommy?" Kopal asked.  
He looked at him, for a moment confused. Then he realized that his behaviour must frighten his son. He embraced the boy. "I don't know. But the healer will take care of her."  
"You are afraid," he simply noted.  
"Yes, I am. Because I am no healer and it always makes me feel terrible when I can't help."  
The boy nodded. Ham wasn't sure if he really understood.  
The time stretched endlessly. Ham got more nervous from minute to minute. But he tried to hide it in front of his kids. His little daughter was awake now and had asked for her mother. She sat on his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck.  
 _Ally wouldn't have sent me away. She would have told me what's wrong. Why did I let her go? I should have asked her to stay until the baby is born. She knows Mardra, and Mardra trusts her. She would have checked her regularly no matter if Mardra had asked for it or not._ He sighed. _My beloved, stubborn Mardra. I should have made sure that you see a healer. Ally was worried about you from the beginning._ He closed his eyes and kissed his daughter's head. _Lisbit, I will make sure that you get your Lisbit. No more children. We already have wonderful children. We don't need more. Oh please, get well, my love._  
Finally the door to the sleeping room opened. Ham didn't like the expression in the man's face. He set his daughter down and walked to the healer, trying to appear calm in front of the kids.  
"How is she?"  
"She is stable now," the man said. "How long does she have these problems?"  
Ham clenched his teeth. "I don't know," he admitted. "I found out before I came for you."  
"She should have seen a healer earlier. I doubt that the problems are new. She must have felt sick a couple days already."  
"She thought these were normal pregnancy problems."  
"No. She needs to rest now. I gave her some medicine to stabilize her organism. She is awake but weak."  
"What about the baby?" Ham asked.  
The healer frowned. "I can't say for sure right now. I don't want to raise false hopes. The life signs are faint, only."  
Ham closed his eyes and sat down.  
"I will send one of my colleagues to look after her tomorrow."  
Ham frowned at the man. "Why not you?"  
"My colleague will be a woman. Your wife is pregnant. A woman should treat her in that state."  
Ham nodded. The healer left. For a moment Ham stared into space. But then he realized that his kids were watching him. He stood.  
"Come." He held his hand out and the girl took it. Then he laid his free arm around Kopal's shoulders. Together they walked into the sleeping room.  
Mardra lay on the bed, smiling at them. "Hey," she whispered weakly.  
"Hey." Ham smiled at her, but he couldn't hide his worries. Not from her.  
She raised her hand and gently touched his face. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.  
"Don't be. It was not your fault. I should have asked Ally to stay."  
"No. She misses her daughter."  
"Still, I should have asked her."  
Mardra shook her head. "She would have stayed for you and thereby suffered."  
"Could we stop to argue?" He smiled at her fondly. "The healer said you should rest."  
Mardra nodded and kissed her children.  
"I'll ask Elend for a few days off that I can care for you."  
"That's not necessary."  
"Perhaps. But I _want_ to care for you!" He gave her a kiss. "Sleep now."  
   


### » 3 «

   
The fire crackled quietly while its flames ate up the wood. It kept the mists a few feet away, providing a mist-free circle. Everyone was in bed beside Dockson and Alana. They had decided to take the first shift that night. In three hours they would wake one of Ham's Thugs as replacement. Given that all of Ham's Thugs as well as Alana had been out in the mists since they attacked randomly, they could do night shifts, while the others had to stay inside the tents as long as the mists were out. Dockson hadn't been out in the mists since they attacked and Alana had been worried to take night shifts with him first, but he had insisted to stay with her. Since he couldn't move around he would sit near the fire. The mists always stayed away from fire and so he would be save. The entrance to their tent was placed in the mist-free circle, so he wouldn't have to be carried through the mists at change of shift. She still hadn't liked it but this time he had won.  
The fire bestowed warmth and light, but only within its short range. Beyond that the darkness was even darker. However, they both weren't Tineyes and weren't able to pierce the mists, anyway. Alana sat in front of Dockson between his legs. He had his arms wrapped around her and she leaned against him.  
The situation with his legs had barely changed. He could move his feet now and some more reflexes had returned, but he still couldn't walk. But he had a better control while sitting. He didn't need his arms anymore to stabilize himself. His left arm got better day by day and Alana had told him, that she was certain he would be able to use it like before in just a few months.  
Although they were cuddling Dockson trusted his senses to warn him if something was wrong. He had lived as a thief for so many years that it was his second nature to be alert in _every_ situation.  
"Al?"  
"Hum?"  
"You said you introduced me as a lesser nobleman to your family, less enough to be dismissed by the obligators."  
"Yes."  
"Does that mean you are now lesser nobility too? I mean, you married me after all."  
She laughed quietly.  
"So are you?"  
"Normally, yes, but actually, no."  
He frowned. "Please, explain."  
"If you were a lesser nobleman, yes. But you aren't. You are skaa."  
His frown deepened. "What does _that_ mean for your station then?"  
"You have been the king's advisor and head of the kingdom's bureaucracy. That is after all one of the highest positions you can get, except for being king or emperor of course. Thereby you are on par with high nobility. Your house would be one of the Great Houses."  
"That's rather disturbing."  
"Why that?"  
"I used to hate nobility, especially high nobility. And now I'm part of it, sort of."  
Alana chuckled. "Sort of, yes. I guess soon there will be no more nobility and skaa, because we mix now. People will be judged by their skill not by their origin. And, you have to admit, you are one of the most skilled people in the Final Empire."  
"Am I?"  
She nodded firmly. "You are an organizational genius."  
"If you say so." He kissed her neck.  
"Your beard is scratching." She pulled away, just a little. He guessed it to be more fooling than seriously.  
"Yes, fortunately. That means it is back to normal." He grinned.  
She chuckled. "I liked the way you looked like when you were shaved."  
"I didn't," he muttered.  
She turned her head and kissed his cheek. "But I missed the scratching," she added softly.  
Dockson closed his eyes and leaned his cheek against hers. "Good."  
They sat together for a long while, enjoying their togetherness, watching the fire. The night was quiet as always during their trip.  
 _There used to be night birds and toads when I was younger_ , he realized. It had only been a short time that he had gone out during the night on the plantation and it was two decades ago, but he remembered that there had been animal sounds at night. They had spooked him. In the city it always had been quiet.  
"Dox?"  
"Yes?"  
Alana hesitated. "There is something I haven't told you yet."  
He raised his eyebrows. "Do I have to be afraid?"  
"No." She shook her head firmly. "Anyway it is something you should know."  
"I'm listening."  
She didn't start immediately. She pulled herself free from his embrace and turned around so that she could face him, sitting cross-legged. She took his hands. But still, she didn't speak. Instead she chewed her lip.  
"You're sure that I don't have to worry?" he asked softly.  
She shook her head. "It is just---I don't know where to start." She grimaced.  
"Start at the beginning," he suggested.  
She grimaced again. "That would mean ten years ago."  
"Why, then do so." He smiled encouraging.  
Alana frowned but then nodded. "When I returned and was pregnant without being married, I caused a scandal, as you know."  
Dockson nodded.  
"With my standing I would have been a highly eligible woman, but with a bastard child most unmarried men kept their distance from me. Only a few were interested in me. I didn't mind, because I didn't want to marry. I hated the world for taking you away from me, for forbidding a relationship between skaa and nobility. I only wanted you." She looked at him.  
He smiled, but there was something in her eyes, an unspoken apology. It caused a strange feeling.  
"About two years ago I began to see a nobleman from Curafal."  
Dockson felt a lump in his throat. _Of course she did see another man. What did you expect? Life goes on and so did hers. You have lain with other women yourself._ But still.  
"It felt good to be with him, to spend time with him," she went on. "And it felt good to go with him to balls." She swallowed. "Esten is a good man and I really like him."  
He frowned. She had said it in present tense not in past tense. "You have left him without telling him why you left?" he asked, dreading her answer.  
"No." She shook her head. "When we left for Luthadel I told him the truth about you. I gave him his handkerchief back."  
Dockson felt how her last words took a load off his shoulders. He sighed relieved.  
"I told you, you don't have to worry," Alana said, gently touching his face.  
He smiled. "Sorry. But why are you telling me that when you say you turned him down before you left?"  
"Because Esten is a friend and I like him. I am not willing to quit our friendship. The problem is that he loves me and I don't know how he will react on you. That is the reason I told you. You should know what to expect."  
"Is he a rather jealous man?"  
Alana shook her head. "No. I don't think that he will cause any trouble. He is a kind man. And yes, if I hadn't gotten the news about the Lord Ruler's death then I had married him," she answered his unspoken question.  
"Do you have feelings for him?" Dockson asked carefully.  
"I do not love him like I love you, but I really care for him. His friendship is important to me. He was the only nobleman - beside my family of course - who knew about my relationship to Ash and accepted it without any reservation. I could be myself when I was with him. I had not to be the noblewoman, I just could be Ally."  
That bothered him somehow. "I see," he said slowly.  
"No, you don't." She changed her position and snuggled into his arms. "I love you, Dox. I love you more than my own life. And Esten knows that. His friendship is not comparable with my relationship to Ash or my love for Ham, but still he became an important person in my life. I want you to know that."  
Dockson nodded and kissed her head. He held her tight and closed his eyes. Despite her words he couldn't suppress the strange feeling he had. A feeling he had never felt before and it confused him. He was jealous, terribly jealous.  
   


### » 4 «

   
Mardra lay on the bed, naked. Her situation hadn't really changed. The medicine she had gotten from the healer the day before had stopped the dizziness, but instead she now felt shaky and weak. As promised one of the female healers had come to check her because she was pregnant. It was a strange rule in her opinion. As skaa they had never had the luxury to decide if they were treated by a man or a woman, usually they could be glad if they had a healer at all. Of course she had preferred to be treated by Alana or Kayla, but not because they were women, simply because they were her and Ham's friends.  
However, the nobility actually had the rule that women never did bloody work, except it was about pregnancy and birth. Only during the fighting the women had been allowed to help with the wounded. The problem had been that they had no experience with such wounds. Did no one see the flaws in those rules? Perhaps she should talk to Ham about it. He was the emperor's best friend. Maybe he could talk to him and they changed it. One day it might save Ham's life.  
Mardra watched the healer doing her work. Ham sat next to her on the bed, holding her hand. He had insisted to stay with her, although the healer had wanted him gone. Mardra could feel the sweat in his hand. He was worried. She also saw it in his eyes, though he tried to hide it. He always did that. She knew that he rarely showed his true feelings. It had been like a protecting wall in the past. When you showed weakness it could kill you. And it had helped when they had been apart for months. Fortunately that time was gone.  
The healer didn't speak during her examination beside an instruction from time to time. Mardra felt more like a thing than like a person. Why did most healers do that? Why didn't they just tell their patients what they were doing? Were they afraid the patients could see their flaws? Or did they think their patients were too stupid to understand what they said? She sighed inwardly. That was the reason she didn't like to go to healers.  
She missed Alana and Kayla. They always had told her what they did. They had showed her that they cared. Why was it so hard for others? All of the healers who worked for Elend were noblemen, none of them skaa. Perhaps he didn't trust in the knowledge of skaa healers. Probably he was right with that. Most of them hadn't been trained properly because they hadn't been allowed to visit a healing school. They had learned on the streets. There had been no skaa hospital where they could gain experience. But it couldn't be a nobility thing. Alana was a noblewoman and she cared. Mardra knew that Alana's mentor Morris cared as well. After all, he was married to her sister.  
She almost smiled at the thought. Rena had never told her who she was married to. Mardra had always guessed that he was a nobleman but never voiced it or even asked. It had been too dangerous. When the ministry had found out they would have killed Rena and her children immediately and punished Morris. She knew that danger very well since she was married to a skaa Misting, a person who hadn't been allowed to exist during the Lord Ruler's reign. Ham had noble blood as well and that was the reason he had Allomancy. She guessed that was the reason the Lord Ruler had feared half-bloods. It meant that skaa could gain Allomantic abilities and thereby threaten him and his favoured nobility. But now the Lord Ruler was dead and skaa Mistings were free.  
But was it their relationship to skaa that made Alana and Morris care or was it because they did care for anyone, no matter if skaa or nobility? In Alana's case it might be her history, that she had been raised by a skaa woman. But that couldn't count for Morris. He was a standard nobleman without history with skaa, at least as far as she knew. Did it start when he fell in love with Rena or before already? She had no idea. Perhaps she should ask Rena next time when they met.  
It seemed to take hours until the healer finished the examination. Eventually the woman packed her stuff and stood. For the first time she met Mardra's eyes and she could see a hint of sympathy.  
"I am sorry," the woman said quietly. "I couldn't find any life signs. The baby is dead."  
Mardra felt like someone had removed the ground beneath her. Her stomach twisted. "No," she whispered. Ham pulled her close and embraced her. She started to cry.  
The healer turned to Ham. "I suggest bringing your wife to the hospital immediately. She has to be operated. The dead foetus must be removed or she will die from sepsis."  
Mardra barely heard the words, but their meaning hit her all the more. For a moment she felt the wish to stay and to die as well. She moaned. Ham held her tight and started to rock her to and fro. She felt his kisses and she heard his whispering, but she couldn't respond. She couldn't even understand what he said. Her world spun around her.  
   
Ham didn't feel the tears running down his face. He just held Mardra, ignoring his own pain. He tried to calm her, to comfort her, although he knew it was impossible. She had been so full of joy since she had discovered that she was pregnant. She had gotten so excited about being pregnant again. He was sure she already had chosen possible names.  
He kissed her head and held her tight, rocking to and fro. "It's okay. Let it all out," he whispered. He didn't know why he said it. It felt so absurd. "I love you so much. We still have Kopal and Dayna. They love you. And perhaps it is better this way. You know, Ally wasn't happy about the pregnancy. She was worried that you could die from it. You almost died back then. Shh."  
Did he say these words to comfort her or to comfort himself? He didn't know. He hid his face in her hair, crying.  
"I love you, Mardra. I love you so much. I'm so sorry."  
   


### » 5 «

   
Kayla pulled the hood of her cloak deeper into her face. Even the Thugs had started to wear cloaks against the sleet. The weather had already been bad since over a week but with the sleet it grew worse. The mixture of rain and snow had started to fall in the early morning.  
She was freezing more than the others because she had her tin burning all the time. Since the encounter with the bandits about two weeks ago she had kept eyes and ears open. Burning tin unfortunately wasn't about enhancing one sense; you always enhanced all of your senses. But she had learned to focus since she had earned her ability as a teenager.  
The memory of the day she Snapped made Kayla swallow. She had suppressed the memory over years. But the koloss in Luthadel had brought it all back. Her devils had returned with all their power. No. Not all of their power, just the terror.  
None of her friends knew the story why she had Snapped, not even Ash. Alana and Ash had wondered why she hadn't been able to go out after the koloss had arrived at Luthadel. But they hadn't asked further. And she had been thankful for that.  
Kayla wasn't born in Luthadel. She was born in a village near Urteau. Not far away one of the Lord Ruler's koloss armies had been stationed. One day a few soldiers with a group of koloss passed the village. They camped not far away from the house where Kayla's family lived in. It was one tent for the soldiers and the koloss camping around it.  
In the middle of the night they came. The soldiers pulled Kayla, her sister and her mother out of the house. They brought them to the camp into their tent. They beat them and raped them again and again. The next morning they moved on, thinking that they all three were beaten to death, leaving their corpses behind. But Kayla had survived, somehow. Her father had nursed her back to health and then sent her to her aunt in Luthadel. Kayla didn't remember the faces of the men but she remembered the koloss, their red eyes, their blue skin, their stench. Always, when she saw a koloss or even smelled them, she simply froze, terrified.  
The moment the koloss army arrived in Luthadel all the suppressed memories had returned with full power. Sometimes she felt guilty that she hadn't told Ash. He loved her and had cared for her. He had comforted her when she was shivering from fear. But she never had been able to tell him why. Ronan had been the only one who knew. He had helped her to get over the raping. With him she had learned to trust and to love again, to enjoy the touch of a man. But she had never been able to overcome the koloss. They hadn't hurt her, but their simple presence, their staring with bloody red eyes in blue skinned bodies when the men had dragged her through the camp into their tent, that still caused nightmares.  
A cracking sound came to Kayla's ear. She immediately focussed. There was movement in the forest. She immediately whistled a warning.  
This time the bandits didn't complain about their defence preparation. They simply attacked. Kayla ducked behind her cart together with other women and children.  
   
Dockson froze the moment he heard Kayla's warning. He pulled his daggers out of their sheaths. He didn't carry them at his body as he was used to. He had stashed them beneath his seat. Then he saw the men coming. They attacked fast. He watched Purill crashing into two men at once, breaking the neck of one while he was still in the air. The other one slammed to the ground. Purill was over him a second later, his fist punching into his face until he didn't move anymore. The Thug jumped back to his feet and searched for the next. He dashed forward, helping Xern.  
Dockson searched for Alana. It took a moment until he found her in the chaos outside. An attacker had grabbed her throat from behind. She tried to break free. He could see how she turned his wrist around, breaking it as the man's scream suggested. She crashed her elbow into his stomach, sending him flying against one of the carts because she had put her food against a stump and thereby was heavier than the man. She turned to look for the attacker. He didn't move anymore. But another bandit attacked her from behind, a dagger in his hand.  
Dockson didn't pause to think. He just grabbed his own dagger and sent it flying against the man. Its blade didn't hit with the tip, but it was enough to slice the man's shirt open and leave a bloody gash. Ash crashed into the man from the side a moment later. Alana turned but didn't help Ash. He was taller and heavier than the man he fought and had anything under control. She grabbed the dagger on the ground and looked at Dockson. She outlined a smile. But he could see the discomfort in her eyes. She hated it to fight.  
"Behind you," he called out when he saw another bandit attack her.  
She ducked under the man's blow. He stumbled forward and Alana thrust Dockson's dagger into his chest. He collapsed in her arms. She let him slip to the ground and stared at him, shocked. The scream of one of the children ripped her out of her stupor. But Ceb already took care of the man who had tried to get to the kids.  
Dockson felt helpless. He saw his friends fight and he couldn't do anything but sit and wait. None of the bandits came close enough to him that he could help.  
Suddenly the scenery grew silent. His friends stood, looking around, or scrambled to their feet. The remaining bandits had dashed off after they had seen too many of their comrades fall.  
Alana stared at the dead man to her feet, the man she had killed. Ash went over to her and pulled her close. She leaned against his chest.  
 _That's my job!_ Dockson thought, feeling impotent. _I can't even be at her side when she needs me most._ He rammed his second dagger into the seat next to his useless legs, angry at himself.  
"Dox." Ash's voice sounded from the door. He opened it and Alana climbed into the carriage. Obviously Ash had led her over.  
Dockson pulled her close. He met Ash's eyes and the man nodded at him.  
"Care for her," he said, unnecessarily.  
Alana shivered in Dockson's arms and cried. He held her tight, still feeling incapable. He should have been at her side, fight at her side. He should have killed the man, not Alana. She was a healer not a fighter. She hated to hurt people. It was terrible for her to kill someone.  
A sudden thought came into his mind. _How must it have been for her to kill those koloss? Did koloss count for her too? Of course they do! Killing is killing for her, no matter what kind of life form it is._  
Dockson took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. He could see the pain in her eyes. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks and then her lips. Finally he pulled her close again, feeling her face resting against his throat.  
"I love you," he whispered. She didn't reply.  
After a couple minutes Alana pulled away from him. She wiped her face. It was dirty from mud and blood. So was her clothing. Her shirt was ripped at her arm, the edges red from blood. He checked it. Blood trickled from a gap.  
"You're wounded," he said.  
"It's just a gap." She stood and opened the carriage door.  
"Where are you going?"  
"Look after the others."  
He grabbed her arm. She turned and just gave him a kiss. Then she shook herself free and climbed out of the carriage. He could see that she still was in shock, her movements numb, and her eyes empty. Again he felt useless, sitting around while anybody else was doing something. He clenched his jaws. He wanted to scream out his frustration. Instead he clenched his jaws even more, threw his head back and howled quietly through his teeth.  
   



	2. Chapter 1 - Part 2

### » 6 «

   
It was still enough time until the mists would appear. But they had decided to rest earlier because they had to cross a large plain next. They wanted to use the protection of the forest for the night instead of camping out on the plain. Additionally, it was raining since three days already, though it still was rather sleet than rain.  
After a short evening meal they all went to their tents. Purill carried Dockson to his and bid him goodnight. Alana knelt down on her bedroll and cocked her head.  
"What?" he snarled.  
"You have been grumpy the whole day already. What's wrong?"  
"That stupid sleet is depressing," he said, although it was only one thing that bothered him.  
"You sit in a carriage."  
"Exactly."  
She frowned. "What is so bad about sitting in a carriage during sleet?"  
"I should be on a horse, riding. We could have passed that plain already," he ranted.  
"But you aren't."  
"Yes, because my legs are useless."  
"We have several carts. We wouldn't be faster if you were on horseback, anyway." Alana sighed. "Now stop complaining and let's start with the training," she said.  
"For what? It doesn't change a thing."  
"May I remind you of the progress we have made already?"  
"What progress? I still can't move my legs."  
"There are more reflexes working by now. You can move your feet. But still it will take time. I doubt you will be able to walk again before we arrive in South Searan. You need to be patient."  
"Patient?" he snapped. "I have been patient the last three months. For what? For nothing! I can't even stand on my own feet." He grew angrier every minute.  
"It takes time," she replied softly.  
"It takes time? How much time? My whole life? I'll be dead before I can walk again. This all is a waste of time. You should have let the koloss kill me, right away!"  
For a moment Alana looked at him with sad eyes, but he wasn't able to react on it. He was angry at himself. He hated the world and his useless legs the most.  
Suddenly Alana just stood and left the tent.  
"Yeah, right. Run away when it gets complicated. You are good in that," he yelled after her. The cover flapped back and closed the entrance. He went on ranting, cursing about his legs. That feeling of impotence never had left him since the encounter with the bandits. It slowly drove him crazy.  
Eventually he calmed down because no one was there anymore who could push up his emotions with replies he could snap at. Finally he looked at the cover and sighed. "Come back, please," he whispered. "I am just a fool who feels useless." He rubbed his eyes with one hand.  
The entrance cover was thrown back. He perked up. But it was Kayla who entered the tent.  
"Where's Ally?" he asked.  
Kayla eyed him for a moment, wordless. Then she sighed. "What do you think?" she said with soft voice. "Even she can't bear anything."  
Dockson clenched his jaws. "I am sorry," he said quietly.  
"Don't tell me." She knelt down in front of him. "Come on. Let's go on with your training."  
He sighed and they did his physical therapy as every evening since they had left Luthadel. They didn't speak but Dockson could see the accusation in Kayla's eyes. When they were done she sat back on her haunches and looked at him.  
"Have you really said that she should have let you die?" she asked eventually.  
He closed his eyes and nodded.  
"How could you? She ran back all the way from Garolle, just to be with you, to protect you. She was afraid to lose you. You should have seen her eyes when she was locked up in that room in Garolle." She shook her head. "Dox, I have never seen so much pain in a person's eyes before, and I have seen many sick people and many family members of people who were deadly sick. To lose you would have killed her. To tell her that she should have let you die is the same as if you drive a dagger into her heart."  
Dockson winced. He immediately felt guilty and swallowed. "It's just. I feel so useless. I'm nothing more than a burden," he said quietly.  
"That is not true and you know that. She loves you. She would do _anything_ for you, as long as you live."  
Finally Kayla bid him good night and left him alone. Alana didn't return to the tent.  
Dockson could smell her perfume on her mattress next to him. It made him sigh. "I'm just a fool," he whispered.  
   
***  
   
The morning sun let the mists slowly disappear. Finally the sky was cloudless again. Alana was up early and left the tent of the sick boy Ullian. She had stayed at his side the whole night. The boy didn't get better. He was even weaker than when they had left Luthadel. She really worried about him. She was thinking about transferring him into the carriage because it was better protected against the elements. Until now he had travelled with his family in one of the carts. The carts had covers but it was not comparable to a carriage.  
Alana joined Winslow who prepared the morning meal. They nodded at each other.  
"The mists disappeared late today," he suddenly said.  
Alana nodded. "And they return earlier in the evening. Something definitely is going on, more than the attacks."  
"Do you have an idea?"  
She shook her head. "The mists always have been a mystery. I guess that's the reason most skaa fear them."  
Winslow just nodded.  
"How is your wife?"  
"Fine, under the circumstances." He smiled.  
They had discovered that his wife was pregnant. She was several years younger than he was, so it wouldn't be a problematic pregnancy. And it wasn't her first child. They already had a boy of about twelve years from their time in Luthadel back then.  
"I will look after her before we move on."  
"Thank you."  
Alana put some of the morning meal on a plate and went to her own tent that she shared with her husband. She took a deep breath before she entered it.  
Dockson lay on his mattress and looked at the entrance. His face enlightened when he recognized her. He sat up as good as he could with his condition. Alana put the plate down and helped him, wordless. Then she handed him the plate and sat down next to him.  
Dockson looked at her. "Al?"  
She met his eyes.  
"I am sorry," he said quietly. "I'm a fool, an idiot."  
Alana just nodded.  
"I---" He searched for words. "I feel so useless. I just sit around and can't help. It's not just that I can't protect you. You have so much work with me. You could be much faster without me."  
Alana looked at her hands for a while, silently. Then she took a deep breath and began to speak. "I returned to Luthadel because of you. I was hoping you would still love me as much as I love you. I wanted to take you back home with me." She met his eyes again and her voice softened. "I don't mind if it takes longer. I don't mind if I have a lot work with you. I love you and I need you!"  
She took the plate away from him and put it aside. Then she snuggled up against him. Dockson laid his arms around her and held her tight. "I love you too," he whispered. "Just don't listen to me when I'm ranting about. Guess it's my way to process my useless legs."  
"They will be fine in a couple months again, I promise."  
"What if not?" He raised his hand to forestall her protest. "Just theoretically."  
Alana frowned. "It wouldn't change my feelings for you. Besides you still have your brain. You don't need your legs to organize. You can let others be your legs."  
"It would also mean I could never again . . ." He didn't finish, but his hand went between her legs, resting at the inside of her thigh.  
"And?" She gently pushed him away a little and looked into his eyes. "I don't mind if I am always up. Besides, I remember that you know other ways." She grinned.  
Dockson pulled her close again. "I don't know why I deserve someone like you," he whispered.  
"Deserve? You mean why you are cursed with me. I can answer you that." She laughed quietly. "Someone has to make your life miserable."  
He chuckled in reply.  
They fell silent and just enjoyed the moment together.  
"The mists disappeared late this morning," Alana eventually noted.  
"With all the rain, no wonder."  
She shook her head. "The rain is gone. We had full sun but still mist patches."  
Dockson frowned. "That is not good."  
"We should eat and prepare for departure," she finally said.  
   


### » 7 «

   
It was afternoon but still a couple hours left until they had to set up camp. Alana rode next to the carriage, Ullian and his mother now travelled in it together with Dockson. They had opened the curtains and windows to let the warm spring air in. Furthermore the passengers could see the landscape what made the travelling a little less boring.  
Dockson had a notebook on his knees and scribbled down some notes.  
"What are you writing?" Alana asked.  
"I try to find a pattern in the mist's behaviour."  
"Any success?"  
He shook his head. "Unfortunately not. I can't find a reason why it appears earlier and disappears later."  
"Do you think it has something to do with that Well of Ascension?"  
An appalled outcry let Alana's horse rear up. She had problems to keep it under control.  
"Whoa! Good boy. Keep cool. Everything is fine."  
"What's going on?" Dockson asked when the horse was settled again.  
Alana's eyes went big. "What the hell?"  
"What?"  
"Mist!" she just said.  
"It is in the middle of the day. That is impossible."  
"It is growing fast."  
It took only a couple seconds until the whole group was surrounded by mists. Screaming some of the people began shaking and went to the ground, having a seizure.  
"Close the curtain!" Alana called out. But it was too late. Mist had entered the carriage through the open windows.  
Ullian screamed and collapsed shaking. Alana jumped out of her saddle and climbed into the carriage. The mother looked at her scared. The boy abruptly stopped shaking and lay still. Alana checked him and sat back shocked. "He is dead," she whispered, wide-eyed.  
"No. No!" The mother started to cry. She embraced her son and rocked to and fro.  
Alana looked at Dockson, fear in her eyes.  
Dockson swallowed. "I guess we now know the reason why skaa fear the mists."  
A couple more minutes later the mists disappeared as fast as they had appeared. The sun was shining like before. Some of the people lay on the ground, moaning.  
"You are okay?" Alana asked Dockson.  
He nodded.  
She climbed out of the carriage and looked over the scenery. Lots of them were on their feet, unbothered by the mists. She saw Kayla kneeling beside a man, caring for him. Panic crept down her spine. It was Ash. She rushed over.  
Kayla looked up at her, tears in her eyes. "Why him?"  
"I have no idea." She knelt down next to Ash and checked him. "He is alive." Alana sighed relieved and fought back her own tears.  
Kayla nodded. "But he's unconscious."  
 _Yes, but alive_ , she thought. "Ullian is dead," Alana told her. "We have to check the others."  
Kayla looked at her, for a moment undecided. Alana burned pewter, lifted Ash and carried him to one of the carts. Carefully she laid him inside.  
"Purill!" she called out.  
The Thug ran over.  
"Bring Dox to Ash. He shall stay with him and call us if something changes."  
Purill nodded and ran to the carriage. She saw how he talked with Dockson who eventually nodded. Purill helped him out of the carriage and carried him over to the cart.  
Now Kayla and Alana had a look at the other people of their group. Fortunately the Pewterarms all were on their feet and fine. It had hit only some of their spouses and children.  
They set up camp and combined the oilcloths of several tents to build a large tent. They brought the sick people into it. Fortunately Ullian had been the only dead one. Anybody else of the mist taken was alive but sick, some more than others.  
Kayla was at Ash's side, checking him. He still was unconscious, but fortunately alive. Alana joined her. She swallowed when she saw him on the mattress, motionless and pale. She had never seen him really sick before. The occasional wounds, yes, and from time to time a cold, but he never had been out completely. It felt wrong. Alana shivered and her stomach turned. She fought the urge to gag.  
She turned away and looked after Della's husband Jenno. He was shaken but okay. The terror in his eyes shocked her.  
"How do you feel?" she asked.  
"I don't know," he replied. "The mists tried to kill me."  
Alana frowned. "How do you know?"  
"I never had so much fear in my life before," he just said. "I have never been so terrified, not even when I saw the koloss."  
Alana looked at Della who sat next to him. She had her arm around his waist, a mixture of fear and relief in her eyes.  
"Care for him," she said and Della nodded.  
Alana looked around. Dockson sat on a desk inside the tent. He seemed stranded. She walked over to him and gave him a peck. Then she fetched her healer's bag that stood beside him and sifted through it.  
"Is there a way I can help?" he asked.  
She looked up at him, thinking. "Find a pattern. There must be a reason why some of us fell sick and others not. The mists attack us, but why not _all_ of us?"  
Dockson nodded and Alana went back to her patients.  
   


### » 8 «

   
They hadn't moved since the incident a couple days earlier. The mists behaved comparatively normal since then. They only appeared from dusk till dawn, lingering a little longer in the morning and appearing a little earlier in the evening. All of the sick people were back on their feet. Some of them still shaky but they could travel again. Only Ash still was sick. He had high fever and was delirious.  
"How is Ash?" Dockson asked when Alana entered their tent.  
"No changes." She sighed and sat down next to him. Then she pulled up against him.  
For a moment they sat in silence. He knew that she worried much for her foster brother. Their love first had confused him. He had no sister and thereby it was hard for him to understand their feelings for each other, especially because they weren't really brother and sister. But Ash and Alana were like two halves of one soul. It was strange but when the two of them were together it was as if Alana came alive a little more. The banter between them was so natural; they didn't even pause about a comment, just replied to it. And then often it wasn't necessary that they shared words. They just looked at each other and simply knew.  
In a way their relationship reminded him of Alana's relationship to Ham. Fortunately. Else it might have caused jealousy. But he had seen Ham and Alana together, laughing, bantering and even cuddling already before they had fallen in love. And he knew there was nothing else but a deep love for a friend, if one could speak of 'nothing else' in this case. Her love for Ash was even deeper, but Dockson guessed that this only came from their long and close relationship since their childhood.  
However, it was one of the things he loved most about her. She had not many close friends, but those she had, she loved from the deepest of her heart, without any reservation. He had never dared to let people that close. The loss of his first love Kareien had hurt him so much, that he hadn't wanted to experience that pain again. Anyway, there had been two more people in his life who had found a leak in his protection wall and thereby a way directly into his heart. Two people he loved more than his own life. Kelsier and Alana. Kelsier's death had almost killed him, and still he could feel the effects.  
He pulled Alana even closer and hid his face in her hair. There was it again, that pleasant slight smell. He still didn't know where it came from, although they travelled together for weeks now, sharing the tent. He closed his eyes and let himself get carried away from her smell, her presence, her warmth and, above all, her love.  
After a while he pulled away and broke the silence. There was something he needed to tell her. "I have found something," he said. "I am not sure if it is coincidental but I found a pattern."  
Alana sat up straight and looked at him with curious eyes. "Tell me."  
"Would you give me my papers over there, please?"  
She scrambled to her feet and got the papers eagerly. Then she sat down again in front of him.  
Dockson paused and watched her for a moment. What he saw was curiosity, love and trust. She always had appreciated and acknowledged his work, and had trusted in him completely. Was that the leak in his protection wall?  
Suddenly Alana bent forward and kissed him tenderly.  
"What was that for?" he asked afterwards.  
"For looking at me with so much love." She smiled with twinkling eyes.  
He chuckled and then turned to his papers. "The first thing I realized was that no Allomancer got sick, neither you or the other Thugs nor Kayla. It made me wonder. I have been out in the mists almost every night, so I didn't get hit as well, I guess. The others are all skaa, afraid of the mists."  
Alana frowned and shook her head. "Ash was out with me very often when we were children. But later too."  
Dockson frowned. He wrote the information down. Then he looked over his notes again. Suddenly he cocked his head. "You became an Allomancer because you had a near death experience, right?"  
"Yes, when I almost drowned."  
"It is necessary to have such an experience to Snap as far as I know."  
"Or a similar traumatic experience, physically or emotionally."  
"Right, like Marsh losing his mother."  
Kelsier's brother Marsh had Snapped and become a Seeker because they had killed his mother for being a skaa. She had been a mistress of a nobleman and hidden her origin. When their father had found out the truth he had informed the obligators immediately. Kelsier and Marsh only had survived because their mother had hidden them well.  
"But _all_ Allomancers had such an experience?" he asked.  
Alana nodded. "Yes."  
"I almost got killed when I arrived in Luthadel. Kell saved me back then." He sighed in remembrance. "What about Ash? Did he have such an experience already?"  
"Not as far as I know. I don't know what happened when I was in Luthadel. After all he was a guard on my father's plantation. And I am not sure if he would have told me after my return."  
"Let us assume he hasn't. What about the others who got sick?"  
"That, I can find out." She jumped to her feet and scampered out.  
   
Alana visited each tent and asked the people who had been sick. None of them had had a near death experience before or a comparable emotional trauma. With that information she returned to Dockson.  
"None of them," she just said when she entered the tent.  
"I know it is crazy, but what if the mists made them Snap? I mean, you said Jenno has felt like dying. He has been as terrified as never before in his life."  
Alana considered his words. "You are right, that _is_ crazy," she said eventually.  
"Can we test it?"  
Alana got on her feet again and grabbed her healer's bag. She pulled out a small pouch and opened it. It contained the eight basic metals and an atium bead. "I don't have gold. But I can make vials with small flakes of the basics. Morris used it to test me back then."  
"Do so."  
Alana nodded and got to work. She prepared the vials and carefully scraped flakes off the metal beads. But she didn't use the whole flakes, she cut them into small pieces. It was dangerous to digest certain metals and she kept the risk to a minimum. Finally she scraped a flake from the atium bead,  
"Wait a minute."  
Alana looked up.  
"Is that atium?" Dockson asked.  
"Yes."  
"Where did you get atium from?"  
"I had a bead in one of my hidden stashes."  
"Why didn't you tell me? Vin was out of atium since months. She would have needed it."  
"You never told me, and you never asked."  
He frowned. "Right." Then he sighed. "However, now it is too late anyway. But I don't think you'll need it for the test. There are no atium Mistings as far as I know. We might need any bit of it one day."  
She nodded and added only the flakes of the other metals to the solution. The already scraped atium flakes she put into another vile and filled it with alcohol. That one she stashed in her bag.  
Finally she sat back on her haunches. "I am done."  
"We can do the test tomorrow morning." Dockson smiled and tapped the place next to him. "My healer ordered me lots of cuddling." He winked at her.  
"I did?"  
"Yes, but my medicine wasn't available the last days." He suddenly grinned mischievous. "Furthermore I would like to do one or more of the other ways you mentioned."  
For a moment Alana was confused, but then she understood. The thought alone let her body react. She smiled. Then she undressed and slipped to him under his blanket.  
   
***  
   
In the morning before they broke camp again Alana handed the prepared vials to those who had been sick. They all downed the solution and searched for changes within their bodies. Dockson took Alana's hand. He sat on a stool next to her. She looked down at him and smiled nervously. It took a moment until the first person came forward. It was Della's husband.  
"There is something. It feels strange," Jenno said.  
"Try to touch it, to burn it. Just reach out for it," Alana replied.  
He concentrated again. "Whoa," he suddenly gasped and covered his eyes.  
"The lights are brighter than normal?"  
"That's one way of putting it," he just said. "That's blinding. And could you please speak a little less loud, yeah?"  
"A Tineye." Alana smiled. She looked at Kayla. "Looks like you have a student now."  
All other mist stricken people discovered Allomantic abilities as well. They now had two Coinshots, one Tineye, one Lurcher, another Pewterarm and a Seeker, although half of them were children.  
Alana turned to Dockson. "You were right." She smiled deeply and gave him a kiss.  
"Happens from time to time." He grinned.  
"But why is Ash still sick?" Kayla asked.  
Alana frowned and chewed her bottom lip. "I don't know." She looked at Dockson.  
He shook his head. He had no idea.  
"We will have to wait until he wakes up," she added quietly.  
 

   


### » 9 «

   
The first signs of dawn were visible when Kayla awoke. She opened her eyes and looked into a smiling face.  
"Good morning," Ash said softly.  
"Good morning," she replied drowsy. With a start she was wide awoken. "You are awake!"  
"Yes. Since a couple hours," he said with croaky voice, smiling.  
"Why didn't you wake me?"  
"I wanted to watch you."  
Kayla cuddled up to him, hiding her face at his chest. "I feared for you."  
"How long have I been out?" he asked.  
She paused and counted the days. "Sixteen days," she said. Then she pulled back from him and looked at him, tears in her eyes.  
He wiped her tears away with his thumb.  
"Anybody else was back on feet after just a couple days," she said. "You are the only one who was sick for so long, the only one unconscious."  
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Sixteen days is a damn long time. That's longer than even Dox's coma." He grimaced. "Guess you had your fun with keeping me alive."  
"You were delirious, so it was easier than with Dox."  
"Good." He smiled.  
Kayla cocked her head and studied him for a long moment. "I love you, Ash!" she simply said eventually.  
"I love you too." He grinned.  
Kayla bent forward and they kissed tenderly.  
"I go and get Ally," she said afterwards and got on her feet.  
Ash nodded, smiling deeply at her.  
She got dressed and hurried out of the tent. Fortunately the mists were gone already, but still the camp lay in silence. She smiled at Xern who was on watch. Then she hurried to Alana's tent.  
Quiet but unmistakable sounds came from inside and Kayla shuffled with her feet nervously, hesitating. Eventually she knocked at one of the tent's stakes that provided the entrance. The sounds disappeared. A minute later the cover was pushed aside and Alana appeared, wrapped into a blanket.  
"What?" she snapped.  
Kayla took a step backward, taken aback from the anger in her voice.  
Alana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Sorry," she apologized, flushing now, obviously ashamed about her harsh reaction. "What's wrong?" she asked.  
"Ash is awake. I thought you want to know."  
Her eyes widened. "Certainly. I will be at yours in a minute." She went back inside.  
Kayla hurried back to her tent. Ash grinned at her when she entered. He now sat on his mattress.  
"Hey," she said smiling, just looking at him for a moment.  
"Hey," he returned.  
"Ally will be here soon." The memory of the sounds and Alana's harsh reaction let her blush.  
"What happened?"  
She sat down next to him and cuddled into his arms. "I guess I disturbed them."  
Ash laughed but choked and started to cough instead. Kayla pulled away from him and prepared a cup with tea. She handed it to him and he drank slowly.  
"Thank you." He smiled, then winked at her and grabbed after her buttocks.  
"Hey, you have been sick for over two weeks. You're barely back conscious and think about one thing only," she scolded, but her eyes twinkled happily.  
"I am a man." He shrugged and grinned.  
Kayla rolled her eyes.  
The entrance cover flapped back and Alana entered the tent. She smiled deeply at Ash. "Hey brother, it is good to see you awake again." She knelt down and hugged him tight. "How do you feel?"  
"Shaky, but else okay." He smiled at her.  
"How long are you awake?" she asked.  
"A couple hours. It was still dark outside when I woke up."  
"Do you remember what happened?"  
He nodded. "The mists attacked."  
She sat back and eyed him while chewing her lip. "All the others who got sick appeared to be Mistings afterwards. They Snapped."  
Ash raised his eyebrows. "That's unexpected." He looked at Kayla and back to her. "You think I Snapped too?"  
"Most likely. But it is strange that you have been sick for so long."  
"Was Winslow sick?"  
"No."  
He shrugged. "I am a plantation skaa. The others are city skaa."  
Kayla and Alana shared a look. Kayla could see the doubt in her friend's eyes.  
"Could be a reason, although I doubt it," Alana voiced her doubts eventually.  
"Come on. Let's find out if I am a Misting too." Ash grinned, obviously excited.  
"Not yet. Give your body some time to recover." Alana looked at him, thoughtfully. "Do you think you can travel in the carriage with Dox?"  
"Shouldn't be a problem. I feel a bit shaky but else I'm okay."  
Alana raised her eyebrows. Kayla knew what she thought. Ash still was terribly pale. But he hated to be sick and always said he felt well while he still was weak. Alana met her eyes. Kayla simply nodded.  
"Very well, then. You travel with Dox. Tomorrow we might do the test, if Kayla thinks you are fit enough for such experiments."  
"Hey, what if I'm a Pewterarm as you are. The pewter could help me." Ash looked at her pleading. He definitely was awfully curious.  
Alana hesitated, but eventually she shook her head. "Kay will check your state and tell me the results. And no, she will not make the decision. You might bully her into giving her okay."  
"I would never bully her," he protested.  
Alana raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Right. You die from curiosity and you would never try to persuade her to do the test."  
Ash grumbled. "You're not fair. Why did you tell me about it, when I am not allowed to test it?"  
Alana shared a look with Kayla. She shrugged.  
"Kay will check you. Maybe I will do the test in the evening, _maybe_! I do not promise it. You have been out for sixteen days. Would you allow Kay to do the test immediately just a couple hours after being up again?"  
He was about to say something, but reconsidered. Instead he just grumbled again.  
Alana gave him a kiss on his cheek. "I love you," she said and stood. Then she turned to Kayla. "We need to talk."  
Kayla followed her outside. The tent's cover flapped back in place.  
Alana looked to the ground and bit her lip, blushing. "About my reaction before," she said quietly. "I didn't want to snap at you. I am sorry. It was just---"  
Kayla laid her hand on her arm. "Don't worry," she said. "I understand your reaction. Guess I'd done the same." She grinned. "I would have waited but I thought it was important for you to know."  
"You were right. That was important for me." She smiled, but apparently still ashamed. "Thank you."  
Kayla pointed at the tent. "Why do you want to wait with the test, by the way?"  
"He was unconscious for sixteen days. I don't know why and I don't want to risk anything. Check him. If you think he is in good condition then we can do the test."  
Kayla nodded.  
   


### » 10 «

   
They sat down for an evening meal at the campfire. Purill carried Dox to the fire. As always he ranted quietly about his useless legs. Alana smiled at him deeply when the Thug sat him down next to her. It made him stop ranting and he felt his heart leap. He laid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Alana gave him a kiss on his cheek. He smiled satisfied. She handed him a plate with some vegetables and bread. He sighed and let her go again to take the plate.  
Ash and Kayla sat next to them. The tall man turned to his foster sister. "When will we do the test?" he asked. "Kay says I'm fit enough."  
"May I eat first?" Alana replied.  
"Eating? Overestimated!" He grinned.  
"Ah good, then we skip the meal for you as well."  
Ash opened his mouth to reply but then he shut it again. Instead he grumbled.  
Alana laughed quietly and turned back to her plate.  
After the evening meal they met in Kayla and Ash's tent. Alana brought the vial with the solution of Allomantic metals. Purill carried Dockson into the tent as well and stayed with them. He could scarcely hide his curiosity.  
Alana handed Ash the vial and he gulped its contents. Full of expectation the four watched him.  
"Okay, there _is_ something. It feels like a tiny sun is shining in my stomach."  
"It is an Allomantic source." Alana smiled. "Try to burn it."  
Ash frowned. "How?"  
"That is hard to explain. Just try to touch it, to activate it. You have to find your own way to do it," she said.  
Ash closed his eyes and concentrated. Surprised he opened his eyes. "Okay, I did something. And now I don't feel sick anymore. The fatigue is gone as well."  
"Pewter, you burn pewter." Alana grinned, her eyes twinkling from joy.  
"I have to say I am a little bit disappointed," Kayla said. "I was hoping you would burn tin. Then I could have trained you."  
"With pewter he can protect you much better," Alana smiled. "Now he is tall, beefy _and_ has the power of pewter. That is a great combination. He is like Ham now." She paused and for a moment her eyes grew sad.  
Dockson took her hand and squeezed it.  
Alana smiled at him thankfully. Then she turned back to Ash. "However, you have a lot of possible trainers available. Your choice now."  
Ash grinned satisfied. "That means I am now stronger than you are even when you burn pewter. You can't simply throw me into tables anymore."  
Alana flushed.  
"Throw you into tables? When did she do that?" Dockson asked surprised.  
"In Garolle. Before she ran back to Luthadel."  
Dockson looked at his wife incredulously. "You really pushed him into a table?"  
"I had to. He didn't want to let me go."  
"Because I asked him to hold you back."  
"I know," she replied quietly.  
Dockson felt a wave of deep love wash over him. She had even attacked Ash to get to him, to protect him. He squeezes her hand again.  
Alana met his eyes.  
 _I love you_ , he formed with his lips.  
She smiled.  
"Uh," Ash piped up. "Is it normal that there is more than one source in my stomach? I mean if you have a couple flakes of metal does it feel like one source or like different sources?"  
Alana looked up and frowned deeply. "Even if you had a couple flakes or beads of one metal you should feel only one Allomantic source, just the size changes. You feel more than one?"  
He nodded.  
Alana's frown deepened even more. "Do they feel similar or different?" she asked suspicious.  
Dockson studied her. There had been something in her voice that made him wonder.  
"Different. Although there is one that is similar to the one I burned before," Ash replied.  
Dockson could see how she swallowed.  
"Try to burn it," she said.  
Ash did as asked. Suddenly he covered his eyes. "Damn," he cursed. It took a moment until he removed his hands again. He blinked a couple times.  
"The light is bright?" Kayla asked, perking up.  
Ash nodded. "And your voice is way too loud."  
Dockson saw how Alana stiffened.  
"You burn tin as well." Kayla looked at them for confirmation. "He burns two metals. That means he can burn _all_ of them. He is Mistborn!" She couldn't hide her excitement.  
Dockson nodded. Alana just stood wide-eyed. Suddenly she turned and dashed out of the tent.  
"What? Did I do something wrong?" Ash asked confused.  
"No, you didn't," Dockson said. He frowned. What was that about? "I'll look after her." He nodded at Purill who lifted him and carried him to his own tent.  
As expected Alana was there. She sat on the ground her arms wrapped around her knees. She ignored the entering men completely, staring into space. Purill sat Dockson down on his mattress and they shared a look. Dockson gave him a nod. The Thug formed a 'Good luck' with his lips and withdrew.  
"What is wrong about Ash being Mistborn?" Dockson asked softly when Purill had left.  
"His parents are skaa, both of them," Alana replied, clenching her teeth.  
Dockson frowned. "That is impossible. At least one of his parents has to be noble. He must be a half-blood."  
"My Moomy is his mother and she is skaa. He was born the same day as I was down in their hovel."  
"So his father has to be noble." He cocked his head. "One of your father's servants has to be his father."  
Alana shook her head. "My father has skaa servants only. And my uncle moved in when we were seven. He lived in Fellise before."  
"You mean there was no other nobleman on the plantation when he was fathered?" Dockson wondered about that. That was unusual. His old master Lord Devinshae had had several noblemen around, including all of his taskmasters.  
Alana didn't reply. She just stared into nothing. Eventually she sobbed. "He has betrayed my mother with Elyria. He slept with her the same time as with my mother." She wiped a treacherous tear from her cheeks with an angry move. "My mother died from postpartum depression," she growled. "She must have known it. It must have broken her heart." She clenched her fist.  
"You don't know that for sure. Maybe it was just a coincidence."  
"I don't believe in such coincidences." Her voice sounded angry.  
Dockson was about to disagree, after all they had experienced many really strange coincidences lately. But he swallowed his objection. She didn't seem to be open for such arguments right now. She was pissed and he could understand that. He knew that many noblemen had mistresses, and most of the noblewomen simply ignored that fact. She thought very highly of her father and adored him. It must be a shock for her to find out that her father was no different than other noblemen. Though, he had to admit that it was unusual that the mistress was skaa, knowingly. Anyway, it explained why Ash and his mother had been allowed to keep such a close relationship to Alana. A sudden thought occurred to him.  
"You know that his means Ash is not just your foster brother. He is your half-brother," he said.  
"That is a cold comfort," she replied quietly, her anger apparently slowly fading.  
"It also means that we are kind of related." He grinned.  
Alana looked at him, frowning. "No, we are not."  
"Okay, not by blood, but you _are_ the sister of my cousin."  
She had a strange expression of complete confusion in her face.  
"And it means Enya is related to Dellin."  
Now she sat up straight. "They are cousins then."  
Dockson nodded.  
"That means they can't marry." She sighed. "Now that they would be allowed to they have to be related. She is going to kill me for that."  
"It's not your fault."  
"No." Her face clouded again.  
Dockson bit his tongue. Unwillingly he had returned to the original problem instead of luring her away from it.  
They fell silent and Alana went on staring into space, her legs tucked up and her arms wrapped around her knees.  
"Would you mind to come over to me?" Dockson asked eventually. "It is hard for me to go to you and hold you."  
Alana looked up and met his eyes. After a moment she stood and sat down next to him. Then she snuggled up to him.  
"You should tell Ash," he said quietly.  
She didn't answer first. "No. I need to talk to Elyria and my father first," she replied eventually. "I want to hear it from them. Keep it to yourself, please."  
"That is going to be hard."  
"Promise, please."  
Dockson clenched his teeth. This was a recipe for disaster, he was sure. But finally he nodded.  



	3. Chapter 1 - Part 3

### » 11 «

   
Hundreds of tents and campfires were visible to the east, creating a sheer endless front just out of reach of the archers, but close enough to be intimidating. People bustled around between the tents and soldiers set up a defensive perimeter. Ham stood atop the city wall and watched the preparations. The army had appeared in the middle of the night, what meant that the soldier's had been out in the mists. They were inoculated as Elend used to call it. Now the morning sun immersed the army camp before the gates of Luthadel.  
"Oh, come on, not another siege. Wasn't the last one enough?" Breeze sighed.  
"It doesn't mean that they don't attack," Ham replied.  
Elend leaned forward. "Send a messenger to the camp. I'd like to negotiate. They shall set up a meeting."  
"You really think they will negotiate?" Breeze asked incredulously.  
"If not, they'll have a problem," Elend replied.  
"How's that?"  
"They don't know that we have two Mistborn now." Ham said.  
"Oh, that. I apologize. I'm still not used to it."  
"Me neither." Elend grinned almost shy.  
 _He still can't believe that he survived,_ Ham thought. _And now he is Mistborn. If Vin is right, he is even far more powerful than she is, less experienced though._  
"Why can't they just leave us alone?" Elend asked sighing.  
"You are emperor now. There always will be a king or warlord who wants to steal that title," Breeze noted.  
Elend sighed again. "We have other things to do. We need to bring in crops for the next winter that we can feed all our people. And we need wood and coal. I don't want a recurrence of last winter."  
"That is Penrod's business, actually," Breeze noted. He pulled out a hand-kerchief and dabbed his brow. "Since when is the spring sun so hot?" he complained.  
Ham rolled his eyes but didn't comment it.  
"They should set up a refreshment table up here if we have to meet here more often," Breeze said.  
Ham didn't reply. Out of the corner of his eye he could see how Breeze raised an eyebrow at him. He knew that the portly man expected one of his philosophical discussions but he wasn't in the mood.  
This morning Mardra had been at the hospital. On her request her sister's husband had taken over the after-treatment of her operation after the miscarriage a couple weeks ago. During his final medical examination he had found out that Mardra would never be able to have children anymore. It had been a shock for her.  
Actually they should be glad about it. They didn't have to worry about taking Lisbit anymore. But it was a difference to _decide_ not to have more children or to never have the chance anymore. He blamed himself for not asking Alana to stay until the birth, or at least for not making sure that Mardra had gone to a healer regularly.  
 _You knew that, Al. I don't know how, but you knew it although everything was okay when you checked her. That's why you asked Rena to look after her. You didn't exaggerate. But you didn't know about Mardra's antipathy against other healers. I should have told you._ He clenched his teeth. _No,_ I _should have thought of it. I should have made sure that she sees a healer, but instead of caring for my wife I only cared for the city's security. I should have known._  
"My dear Hammond, it is rather disturbing that you are so quiet today. I didn't even have to Soothe you for that."  
"Hum?" He looked at Breeze and shrugged. "I just don't like to have another army threatening us," he replied.  
"You really should work at your strangely non-confrontational attitude. You are a warrior after all."  
"Why? I think it is fine the way it is."  
"Yes, actually, _that_ is your problem."  
Ham just shrugged.  
   


### » 12 «

   
They broke camp and everyone helped, even the children. Meanwhile it was a hand in hand work. Everyone knew what to do and the camp was dissolved within just a few minutes. Thereby they didn't lose precious time and could move on early.  
Alana mounted her horse while Purill helped Dockson into the carriage. Hooves sounded behind her and she turned. Ash stopped his horse next to her.  
"Hey," he said.  
"Hey," she replied and turned back to the carriage. She wasn't able to look into his eyes right now.  
"You okay?" Ash asked.  
She nodded, although it wasn't true.  
"Al?"  
"Yes?" She didn't look at him.  
"Are you mad at me?"  
"No."  
"Why then do you avoid me?"  
She looked at him and frowned. How could she tell him about her feelings, that seeing him reminded her of the misbehaviour of her father? What if she was wrong? No, she wasn't wrong. But still she needed to talk to her father first. She needed an explanation. She couldn't tell Ash right now. She needed to be sure first. She looked away again, clenching her teeth.  
"Ally, please. Don't do that. Don't leave me hanging in the air," he pleaded.  
"I can't. Not yet," she said quietly. "I am sorry."  
"Ash!" Dockson called from the carriage.  
Alana looked at Dockson and their eyes met. He nodded at her and turned back to Ash. When the man looked to the carriage Dockson waved him over. Out of the corner of her eye she could see how Ash glanced at her. Eventually he approached the carriage. Alana only hoped that her husband would keep his promise. She spurred her horse and rode to the forefront of the trek.  
   
Ash reached the carriage and dismounted.  
"Let her be," Dockson said.  
Ash frowned. "What is wrong? What did I do?"  
"You did nothing. Trust me, Ash. It is not your fault."  
"But why then is she mad at me?"  
"She is not. It's---" How could he explain it to him without breaking his promise? Anything inside him twisted at the thought. He knew how close the two were and what it meant for Ash not to know. "It's complicated." He sighed. "Ash, I've promised her not to tell you, but let me assure you, _you_ didn't do anything wrong."  
Ash didn't seem to feel better.  
"Ash, give her time."  
He met his eyes, frowning. "How much time?"  
"I don't know."  
"Damn, Dox, tell me, please."  
Dockson clenched his teeth. "She made me promise," he said, feeling utterly uncomfortable.  
Ash went through his hair with his fingers. Then he cursed and mounted again.  
Dockson leaned back in the carriage. "This isn't going to end well. You need to talk to him, Al."  
   


### » 13 «

   
Ash Pushed. The coin flipped away from him. He smiled. He stopped Pushing and started to Pull at it instead. The coin flipped back toward him in a horrible speed. Suddenly he realized that it flipped exactly toward his chest. He stopped Pulling but the coin didn't just drop. It moved on. He jumped aside and the coin slapped into the tent behind him. It left a hole in the tent wall.  
"Oops."  
"Consequences," Alana said.  
Ash turned surprised.  
"Rule number one in Allomancy. Always think about the consequences. It's no difference to pewter. If you hit too hard you will break either your hand or your counterpart. If you hit something that is lighter than you, it will buckle. If you hit something heavier, _you_ will buckle. And if something is in motion it _is_ in motion until you or something else stops it."  
Ash listened silently. "Are you going to train me in the use of pewter?" he asked eventually, hope sparking in him.  
She simply shook her head and turned to leave.  
"Al?"  
She stopped.  
"Is it something I did or said?"  
She just shook her head and moved on.  
Ash took a deep breath, then followed her and grabbed her arm. "Don't," he said.  
She looked up and met his eyes. The pain he saw in there shocked him.  
"Ally, please, talk to me," he pleaded.  
Tears appeared in her eyes. "Let me, please," she whispered.  
"No. Damn, Al." He pulled her into his arms. "Talk to me, please."  
First she resisted but then she wrapped her arms around him and cried. They stood for a while until Ash realized that some of the kids were watching them.  
"Come," he said and led her away from the tents. When they were far away enough he stopped and they sat down together on a boulder. "Now, tell me. Please!"  
Alana wiped her eyes and tucked up her legs. She stared into space. Eventually she took a deep breath. "Have you ever wondered why you are so tall?" she asked.  
"Yes."  
"To what conclusion did you come?"  
Ash hesitated to tell her. He knew the reason but had kept it to himself for over a decade now. Because he knew that it would hurt her. "Tokal must have been really tall," he lied.  
Alana looked at him and raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Ash immediately looked away.  
"Liar," she said. "You never were good with lying to me."  
Ash clenched his teeth.  
"You need to be a half-blood to become Mistborn," she said quietly. "I should have seen it. At the latest when you stood next to him. He is not as beefy as you are, but that is because he is a nobleman. You have skaa blood as well, what means more muscles, more strength. That is the reason why Dox is stocky and Markes was slender."  
Ash swallowed. "So I was right." He looked at her. "I'm sorry, Al."  
"When did you see it?"  
"When I grew so tall. Tokal wasn't tall."  
"Why didn't you tell me then?"  
"Because I thought it would hurt you. And I was right. That's why you avoided me the last days."  
"I am sorry about that. I wanted to talk to my father . . . our father first."  
He grimaced.  
"I have to know why, Ash. And I need to know, if my mother knew, if she died because of it."  
There was it again, the pain he had seen before. She had never known her mother because she died shortly after her birth, but she loved her nonetheless.  
They fell silent for quite a while. Mists appeared in the air. Ash frowned. The last time he had been in the mists he had been out cold for sixteen days afterwards. But this time nothing happened. The mists danced around him as usual.  
Suddenly Alana looked at him, her mouth slightly open from surprise.  
"What?" he asked.  
"The mists," she said.  
"I'm okay. Guess Dox is right. They made me Snap and now everything is fine again."  
She shook her head. "Don't you see it?"  
"What do you mean?"  
She grabbed his hand and pulled it up so that it was in the air in front of him.  
Now he saw what she meant. He was used that the mists were dancing around him, embracing him, but now it was even more. It was as if they played with him. He looked dumbfounded.  
"Ash, are you burning metals right now?"  
He nodded.  
"Extinguish, please. All of them."  
He did as requested. The mists returned to the normal dancing he was used to.  
"Burn it again."  
He burned pewter and the mists immediately started to play with him again.  
"That is amazing," Alana said in awe. "It is like the mists caress you, like they caress a beloved person."  
He raised his eyebrows, incredulously. "What about you? Are you burning right now?"  
She shook her head.  
"Burn it and let's see what happens."  
Alana raised her hand and they watched the behaviour of the mists. They started to dance around her as well but it was more the way how they did it when Ash didn't burn any metals at all.  
"It seems like you are favoured by the mists." She smiled.  
"Because I am Mistborn, I guess."  
She shook her head. "No. The mists already danced with you before."  
"Well, the term says Mist _born_. Perhaps it means you already have some of it since birth."  
Alana cocked her head. "That is an interesting theory." Her face clouded and she sighed.  
"What?"  
"That would be a perfect starter for one of Ham's philosophical puzzles."  
"You're right." Ash nodded. Then he burned tin and looked toward the camp. He could see Purill standing near the fire, looking out into the mists, a worried expression in his face.  
"Guess Dox is worried. We should go back."  
Alana looked at him confused.  
"His shadow is looking for us." He grinned.  
She chuckled. "It is good for him to have a friend," she said eventually. "Purill is a good guy."  
Ash nodded.  
They stood and walked back toward the camp.  
"Ash?" Alana suddenly said.  
"Hum?"  
"Thanks for forcing me to talk."  
He smiled. "That's what friends are for." He winked at her.  
"And brothers."  
His smile deepened. "And brothers."  



	4. Chapter 2 - Part 1

### » 14 «

   
He soared through the misty air in an arch, Pushing against the clip he had dropped to the ground. Soon he shot out over the thick cover of mists. This was the best part always. Now he saw the thick layer of mists beneath him and the black sky with millions of lights above him. In a good night a Tineye could see the stars through the mists, because a Tineye could pierce the mists, make them more translucent by burning the metal. But they couldn't see the whole beauty. Only a Coinshot or a Mistborn could see the sky in its full glamour.  
He reached the endpoint of his Push, the blue line of his clip dissolving behind him. His body started to drop toward the ground again, his trajectory still carrying him forward. Soon he was covered by the mists again. He dropped another clip and Pushed against it. First, nothing happened. The clip shot through the darkness until it hit the ground. That moment it was the weight of the planet instead of the coin's weight against Ash's own and he was Pushed away from the ground again. The clip was behind him now what meant he shot away from it in a new arch.  
Ash had to be sparing with his clips. Alana had gathered all clips they had had in the camp but still it was only a small pouch of coins. Anyway, he had used them to jump toward his destination until he was down to the half of his coin pouch. He loved to soar through the air.  
The last weeks of travelling he had used every nightshift, every free minute to train his ability to jump with the help of metals. He didn't have a trainer what meant that he had many failures. Fortunately he was Mistborn what meant he had pewter as well. Else he would have broken several bones already.  
He dropped another coin and Pushed, but this time not as much as before, just to slow his fall. He flared his pewter before he landed in a crouch, strengthening his body for the impact. Then he kept his pewter flaring, dashing forward in an amazingly speed. He didn't stumble although the ground blurred beneath his feet. Pewter didn't only strengthen his body it also gave him more balance.  
Pewter burning was an amazingly ability. Ash had seen its effect at his sister before, but now he could feel it, feel the strength, the balance, the power. There was no fatigue and no cold. They had trained him all together, but mostly Alana. She had given him as much knowledge as possible. They had talked about the effects for hours while riding next to each other, and they had sparred. That he loved most about it. It reminded him of their childhood when they used to play-fight.  
He grinned when he thought about their sparring. Certainly they competed, but in the end they usually ended up on the ground, laughing heartily. Dockson watched them from time to time, grinning and head-shaking about their childish behaviour, although Ash sometimes could see the wistfulness in his eyes. He understood his feelings. He never had been in his situation but the thought alone not to be able to walk, always to depend on the help of others, was frightening.  
Eventually the dark silhouette of Curafal appeared in front of him. Ash came to halt and watched the town in the distance. To see this town again meant that they weren't far away from home now. He missed his mother and his children. Although Tiya wasn't his daughter by blood he loved her no less than Dellin. How hard must it have been for Kayla to be away from her children?  
Suddenly he remembered the days during the siege after the koloss had arrived. Still he had no idea why she had been so terrified. He wondered about it and more than once he had been about to ask her, but always held back in the end.  
However, the trek would reach Curafal the next evening. Ash had been sent ahead to scout the situation. They had no idea what happened during the last year down here in South Searan. They had seen so many changes during their journey, that they were worried. Ash sped up again and dashed toward the town.  
A couple more minutes later he reached the border. He dropped a coin and launched himself into the air again toward one of the buildings. But he had miscalculated his trajectory and shot over the building. He cursed and searched for metal anchors in the night. Finally he found one before he dropped to the ground and Pulled. Fortunately it was something that was heavier than he was and he was Pulled toward it. He landed awkwardly and rolled over the rooftop. Ash hoped that no one had seen him.  
He had never jumped among buildings before, always out in the open. And he had mostly trained his Pushing because there had been nothing out there he could Pull at, nothing that was heavier than he was. Curafal would be perfect for Lurcher training. But he needed a trainer for that; else it would probably take months to learn it.  
Ash tried to jump onto the next building but it ended as before. Only because of his pewter he didn't break his arm. Eventually he decided to take the usual route, on the street by foot.  
The streets were quiet. With his tin burning he could see much farther than other people, but there was not much to see. Not even town guards were on the streets. Apparently they feared the mists. After a while he passed one of the larger noble mansions. There he could see men guarding the gates, but they seemed to be tense. For a moment he thought about talking to them, but then he dismissed the thought.  
He headed toward the centre of the town where he knew he would find some answers, or at least he hoped so. It was the best place to gather information. Additionally, his sister had asked him to deliver a message. It took him half an hour until he reached his destination. If he had been able to use his Allomantic ability it had taken him barely five minutes he guessed. The only advantage of walking had been that he had seen no damage to the buildings. It let him assume that there had been no fights in the town, what was a good sign.  
For a moment Ash thought about walking in through the gates, but the guards seemed as tense as the men earlier. Eventually he dropped a coin and launched himself over the wall. He dropped another coin and landed in the courtyard, silently. Then he walked toward the front door and knocked.  
It took a while until a servant opened. The face wasn't familiar, unfortunately. The man eyed Ash from head to toe, sceptical.  
Ash simply nodded to the man. "Is Lord Esten Mondo at home?" he asked.  
"Who is asking?"  
"I bring a message from Lady Alana Leary," he replied.  
"The name is not familiar."  
Ash rolled his eyes. "Perhaps because you don't work long enough for Lord Mondo. Would you be so kind to tell him?"  
"It is very late and Lord Mondo is sleeping already. I will not disturb him. Return in the morrow."  
"No, I will not return in the morrow. You will wake Lord Mondo, now." He helped his words with a little Soothing. He wasn't trained in that, especially because Alana had forbidden him to ever Soothe her emotions.  
The man frowned. "I will not," he disagreed, obviously unimpressed by Ash's Soothing attempt.  
Now Ash was annoyed. "Very well. You don't leave me a choice." He stepped into the mansion, simply shoving the man aside.  
"I will raise alarm," the servant said.  
"Do so. Then I don't have to wake Lord Mondo myself." He looked at the man, but he just stared at him with blatant hostility. Ash shook his head and moved on. He had never been in Esten's private quarters but he guessed they weren't far away from his son's quarters.  
He followed the corridor. Behind him he could hear that the servant called the guards. It made him sigh. He had no idea why the man had reacted so stupid. Of course it was late, he guessed sometime after midnight. But that was no reason to send a messenger away.  
Ash burned tin when he reached the private wing of the mansion. Soon he heard unmistakeable sounds from one of the quarters. It made him grin. He chose that door and knocked. The sounds hushed. He knocked again. A minute later the door was pulled open.  
"What the---?" Esten immediately fell silent when he recognized Ash.  
"Hello Esten," Ash said, grinning broadly. "Guess now I know why your servant didn't want to let me in."  
Guards appeared on the corridor, hurrying toward him. Esten stepped out on the hallway when he heard them as well. "Everything is okay," he said. "You can return to your posts."  
The men hesitated.  
Ash smiled at them. "You heard your boss. Return to your posts."  
The men withdrew after an assuring nod of the lord.  
Ash turned back to Esten. "Do I have to stay out here or will you let me in?"  
"Err." The nobleman glanced over his shoulder. Then he sighed and stepped aside.  
Ash entered the room. "Is it Garia?" he asked.  
Esten flushed deeply. "How do you know?"  
"She was completely in love with you back then." Ash grinned. "Don't worry. Ally doesn't return alone."  
The nobleman frowned. "Sit down," he said eventually.  
They sat down on the plush chairs in the lounge.  
"Now, tell me. When did you return and why do you come to my house in the middle of the night?"  
"Ally will return in the morrow, in the evening I guess. I was sent ahead to scout the area, just in case. We have seen really bad things on our way back."  
Esten nodded. "I know. We got reports from the north. There have been problems with warlords and koloss."  
Ash nodded as well. "We have seen the results. Did Curafal have any problems?"  
"Not really." He frowned. "I guess we are too unimportant to be of interest for any warlords and too far south for the koloss, fortunately." He shrugged. Then he leaned forward. "You said Alana doesn't return alone."  
Ash nodded again. "She is married now."  
He saw Esten swallow. "So she found Dockson?" he asked quietly.  
"Yes." He smiled.  
"Tell me more."  
"Why, do you know of Elend, Al's cousin?"  
Esten nodded. "She told me about him."  
"He has been king of the Central Dominance when we arrived, now he even is emperor of Central, Western and Northern Dominance."  
Esten raised his eyebrows in surprise.  
Ash pondered how much to tell the man. After all, he had been in love with his sister a year ago. He doubted that those feelings had vanished. "Dox worked for him. That's how Al and Dox met again, and he still loves her. We had some trouble though, that's why we couldn't return earlier. Luthadel was besieged by three armies, one of them koloss."  
The nobleman gasped in shock. "What happened?"  
"The koloss attacked one day. But we won. Though, Dockson got heavily wounded in the fight. He survived but still can't walk. It might take a couple more months until he's back on his feet again, literally."  
"What about the other two armies?"  
"They bowed to Elend in the end. That's why he is emperor now."  
Esten leaned back and processed the information. "You said Alana married Dockson?" he asked eventually.  
Ash nodded.  
"But that means she is married to a skaa now." He frowned deeply. "That might cause problems around here. Some of the high nobility don't accept the new freedom of the skaa. It will destroy the reputation of House Leary." He seemed to be honestly worried.  
"I don't think so. As I said, Dox worked for Elend. He was one of his core advisors, head of finance and that stuff." Ash shrugged. "Elend ennobled him. So he's a lord now, Ally said high nobility. His noble name is Lord Dockson Cowell. If they'd stayed in Luthadel, his house would be one of the Great Houses." He grinned.  
Esten looked at him astonished. But then he frowned confused. "Cowell? Wasn't that the name Alana chose for him to cover his identity?"  
Ash nodded. "He could choose a family name. That's the name Enya knows him with. Ally is now called Lady Alana Cowell."  
Esten considered the information. "That also is the name the nobility around here knows. They should hold back the information that he is born skaa."  
"Is there anything else we should know about?"  
"No." Esten shook his head. "Will you stay at the Harsworth Inn?"  
"Yes. I'll stop by there to announce their arrival."  
"Don't tell Harsworth about Dockson's skaa identity. He is not very happy about the current situation, if you know what I mean."  
"I see. Thanks for the warning." Ash eyed the man. "Will you be there?" he asked eventually.  
"I don't know if that is a good idea." Esten swallowed.  
"Why? I thought you found someone else."  
He frowned. "My relationship to Garia is not official. She is skaa as you know."  
Ash shrugged. "Didn't you make her noble?"  
"Yes, but lesser nobility. I am high nobility."  
"Shouldn't be a problem anymore, I guess."  
"Around here it is. As I said before, some of the high nobility is not very happy about the current situation. But that doesn't matter."  
Ash frowned. Nothing had changed, or at least not much. "Have you heard anything about the Leary plantation?"  
Esten shook his head. "I had no contact to Lord Brandon during the last year. After Alana's departure I---" He didn't finish.  
"You should come to the Inn," Ash said softly. "She wants to see you."  
"She does?" He looked at him surprised.  
Ash nodded solemnly. "She asked me to tell you something." He met his eyes. "Don't forget your promise."  
   


### » 15 «

   
The buildings of the town spread in front of them. It made Alana smile. "Curafal," she said quietly.  
Ash had scouted Curafal the night before and returned in the morning. He had reported that the town barely had changed. The town was safe, in the main. Ash had announced their arrival and let the innkeeper prepare rooms.  
 _Only two or three more days and we will be home,_ Alana thought. She sat in the carriage with Dockson and wore a travel gown. It didn't have the numerous layers of skirts that ball gowns or even a gown for daily use had. It was designed to be comfortable during a long term travel. The skirt didn't flare out that much and the gown was high-necked. But still it was elegant and would separate her from a skaa woman or even a lesser noblewoman. Her dark hair was pinned up. The only jewellery she wore beside Dockson's ring was the crystalline Tarok leaf, Elend had given her as a birthday present once.  
"Tell me about Curafal," Dockson asked.  
"You could call it the heart of the South Searan nobility," she replied. "Most of the nobility from the surrounding plantations have a mansion in Curafal, some noblemen live there regularly." She glanced at Dockson who looked out of the window. "Like Esten."  
He winced slightly.  
Alana sighed. _He is jealous._ She hoped it wouldn't cause any problems in the future. "The town lives from the gatherings and of course from the shops," she went on. "You can buy there almost anything you want. It is like Kenton Street in Luthadel but without the market stalls."  
"You said your father has a hospital. Is it here?" he asked.  
Alana shook her head. "No, it is at the lake, northwest of the plantation. The lake's mild climate and its surrounding trees make it better for the healing process."  
"Will we pass it?"  
Again she shook her head. "We have to circle the western arm of the lake. That means we enter the plantation from the Southwest."  
He nodded.  
   
Half an hour later they entered the town and after a couple more minutes the carriage stopped in front of the inn. The building wasn't comparable with the small inn in Hereen. It was a mansion with a large courtyard that provided space for several carriages.  
Winslow opened the carriage door and helped Alana out. Purill brought a chair and he and Ceb helped Dockson out of the carriage. They sat him into the chair and carried him with the chair into the building. Alana followed behind them. They set down the chair in the entrance hall and stepped back, ready to follow coming orders. Both Pewterarms wore noble suits.  
An elder nobleman approached them. "Lady Leary, what a pleasure to see you again." He paused and bowed. "I mean, Lady Cowell of course. I apologize."  
"You will have to get used to that name, Lord Harsworth." She tilted her head. "This is my husband, Lord Cowell."  
Dockson nodded at the man and Lord Harsworth bowed to him as well.  
"I have prepared rooms for you and your servants. Dinner will be ready in an hour. I hope it is enough time to freshen up."  
"It will be enough, thank you, Lord Harsworth," Dockson said.  
"Please, follow Afran. He will show you your rooms."  
Afran was a lesser nobleman who worked at the inn. Alana remembered him from her several visits. She smiled at the man. He bowed to them.  
Purill and Ceb picked up Dockson and followed Afran.  
   
They sat in the dining room of the inn, a lavish meal on their table. Several other guests were present as well, sitting on other tables around them. Ceb and Purill stood behind Dockson's seat, just a few steps back, their hands folded behind their backs. It made him feel a little bit strange.  
"Why do I actually feel like being in the middle of a scam right now?" he whispered.  
"Because noble life in public is nothing else but scamming." Alana smiled at him.  
"Now I understand why it was so easy for you to scam us back then."  
She frowned and shook her head. "I didn't scam you. With you, I always was the person I really am, with the nobility never."  
Dockson looked up and met her eyes. He could see sincerity in her face. A deep feeling of affection washed over him. He raised his hand to caress her face but paused. Finally he shrugged and did it. She smiled in reply.  
"I hope the others get a good meal as well," he said after a while.  
"Not quite as opulent as ours but a good one. Harsworth knows that I want the best for my servants."  
"It seems like everything here is like before the Collapse."  
"I have realized that too. But I see no more skaa servants. Let's finish dinner and ask Harsworth to our table."  
He nodded.  
A couple minutes later Dockson waved for one of the servants and told him to send for Harsworth.  
It took almost ten minutes until the portly nobleman joined them.  
"I apologize, Lord and Lady Cowell. I was delayed by business matters."  
Alana tilted her head. "Please, take a seat, Lord Harsworth. We have several questions about the current situation in South Searan."  
The man sat down.  
"Please, tell us, weren't there any skaa revolts in the area?" Dockson asked.  
Harsworth raised his eyebrows. "Of course there were, fortunately without bloodshed. I have to say, we always were rather lenient with our skaa down here in the South. When word spread about the Lord Ruler's death and the skaa revolution in the capital our skaa raised as well. But they didn't kill or chased their masters away, nor did they run off. At least most of the skaa population stayed. They demanded better treatment, medical care and payment."  
Dockson could see how Alana supressed a smile.  
"And the lords agreed?" he asked further.  
"Most of them, yes. Some didn't. Their skaa just went away to other plantations or houses." Harsworth looked at Alana. "I guess your father now has double as many skaa as before working his fields." There was a hint of disapproval in the man's eyes.  
"My wife realized that you don't have skaa servants anymore," Dockson said, before Alana could respond to the implied accusation.  
"Indeed. I didn't want to pay them."  
"You know that even Emperor Venture trusts in his skaa advisors."  
"Emperor Venture is far away from South Searan. I don't care what he thinks, Lord Cowell."  
Dockson felt Alana's hand on his. He glanced at her. There was an implied head-shaking.  
"We have our own problems," Harsworth continued. "We can be glad that we haven't been purged by the rampaging koloss in the area."  
"Koloss?" Alana perked up.  
"Yes. Fortunately we are off the standard travelling routes. But they have hit Appsole pretty hard."  
"Appsole lies a couple days to the Northeast," she explained to Dockson. Then she turned back to Harsworth. "Please, is there anything else important that happened during my absence?"  
"Fortunately not. Though, we had some events concerning the mists."  
"What kind of?"  
"It seems that something has changed. People get sick when they go out in the mists, some even die."  
"We noticed a similar situation in the Central Dominance. My servants have been hit during our travel as well. Fortunately only a few got sick and they recovered soon."  
Dockson wondered why she didn't mention Ullian, but he guessed she had her reasons. Obviously Harsworth was one of the noblemen who preferred the old system. He would ask her for more details later.  
"Anything else, Lord Harsworth?" he asked.  
"Nothing of interest, I would say." The man smiled. "There will be the spring ball in three weeks. Will you attend?"  
"As you could see, my husband is not in the position to dance. We will have to wait until he fully recovers."  
"I apologize. It is easy to forget when you sit at a table."  
Dockson just nodded.  
"May I ask how that happened, my lord?"  
"Luthadel was attacked by koloss a couple months ago," he replied.  
Harsworth's eyes widened. "You fought against koloss and survived?"  
"It seems so."  
"Lord Harsworth, if you will excuse us now. We had a hard trip and would like to rest," Alana said.  
"Of course, my lady." He stood and bowed. "Have a good night then. If you need anything, call for my servants."  
She tilted her head.  
"Why did you send him away?" Dockson asked after the nobleman was gone.  
"He got enough information to feed the gossip. And we know what we wanted to know. However, as you might have realized Harsworth is not exactly the kind of noblemen I like to spend my time with."  
"It was hard to miss." He grinned.  
"And, I know it is hard to believe, but I am really tired, especially tired of travelling. This will be the first real bed in weeks. I am glad we will be home soon."  
   


### » 16 «

   
Late spring sun warmed the air and the trek followed the road to the south. They had left Curafal an hour ago. Alana sat on her horse again. First she had been in the carriage to maintain appearance, but soon Dockson had shooed her out again. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy her company, as he had said, but she was so excited to come home, to see her own land again, that she had been terribly mobile in the carriage, switching from one window to the other to look out.  
Now she could see the familiar landscape around her. In the evening they probably would reach the borders of the Leary plantation already. She breathed in the fresh air and smelled broken soil. The spring harvest had already happened and now the fields were prepared for new seeds.  
Suddenly she heard a thud behind her. Her horse shied appalled, but she kept it under control. She turned and Ash grinned at her. Obviously he had landed behind her after a steel jump.  
"Hey," he said and walked abreast her. He didn't have to speed up much for that because they travelled in walking pace.  
"Hey," she smiled.  
"Not long and we'll be home."  
She nodded. "I miss Enya."  
"I miss Tiya and Dellin," he replied.  
They lost themselves in thoughts, travelling silently side by side, Ash on foot and Alana by horse.  
"He wasn't there," she suddenly said.  
Ash perked up.  
"You have told him that I wanted to see him?"  
"Yes."  
"Have you reminded him of his promise?"  
"I did, yes."  
"Did he say he would come?"  
Ash met her eyes. "No. I told him but he didn't reply to it. And before you ask, I am sure he understood my words."  
She clenched her jaw. Why hadn't he come, then? Ash had told her that he had caught him in bed with Garia. That was a good thing in her opinion. He hadn't waited for her. After all, she had told him to look at the skaa women in his house, that there was a woman who really loved him. She had meant Garia. Ash had found out about her feelings for her master back then when Alana and Esten had started to meet. The young skaa woman had nursed Esten's son after the death of his wife.  
Esten had promised Alana that they would stay friends, although she had turned him down. But he had also said that he would need some time, that he couldn't just extinguish his feelings for her. Did that mean he still was in love with her? But why then did he sleep with Garia?  
"Rider," Kayla shouted from the fore. She stopped her horse.  
Alana spurred her own horse and galloped to her friend. She stopped next to her and then squinted against the sun. "How can you burn tin while looking into the sun?"  
"It's a matter of training," Kayla said, smiling.  
"Anyway, I don't see a thing."  
"It's a single rider, approaching us."  
"Could be Xern."  
"Do you think he could be back already?"  
Alana nodded. "I guess we will be home in two days, three at the latest."  
Kayla smiled. "I really miss my kids."  
"And I miss Enya." Alana sighed. "We have been away for way too long."  
"How do you think will she react on her father?"  
"She should know how he looks like. You know how much she loves Harris." She smiled. "I promised her to bring her father home if possible."  
"A bold promise." Kayla laughed quietly. "So she is expecting him?"  
Alana nodded. "The message for my father contained the information that he is with me. He will tell her."  
"Good."  
With a thump Ash landed next to them. He stumbled but regained his balance a moment later.  
 _He has to see a trainer,_ Alana thought. _It was already hard to learn one Allomantic ability alone, but it is impossible to learn all of them. I have to talk to Dad about it._  
"What did I miss?" he asked.  
Kayla pointed eastwards.  
He followed with his eyes. "It's Xern, I guess."  
"That's what Ally said." Kayla smiled. "We will be home soon."  
He grinned.  
The rest of the trek reached them. They decided to move on until the rider would encounter them.  
   
Half an hour later they met Xern. He grinned.  
"Your face tells me everything is fine on the plantation," Alana said.  
The Pewterarm nodded. "Lord Leary sends his regards. He will prepare anything for our arrival."  
"Have you seen our kids?" Kayla asked.  
"I have met three kids, two of about ten years and an elder girl."  
Kayla nodded. "Yes, that's them."  
"They seemed to be excited." Xern smiled. "May I withdraw?"  
Alana nodded. "Go and see your family."  
   


### » 17 «

   
With their slow tempo and the heavy rainfall almost the whole day they hadn't reached the manor in the evening as hoped. Alana stopped her horse and turned to the others.  
"It will take about another four hours until we reach the manor. It will be night then. Do you want to rest here until morning or go on?"  
They all had been hit by the mists and recovered, but she could see the fear in their faces. They feared it would happen again, though Alana doubted that. Ash had been out in the mists since and it had been even better than before. He had immediately recovered his trust in the mists. But those people never had been out in the mists before. They had feared the mists for their whole life, beside the Thugs of course.  
Della spoke for the others. "We would like to set up camp here."  
Alana nodded. She dismounted and approached the carriage.  
"Hey," she said smiling. "We are almost home."  
Dockson leaned out of the carriage window to kiss her. But she could see discomfort in his eyes. She cocked her head but he simply smiled.  
They set up camp and lit a campfire. Although the rain had stopped, they still had had problems to find dry wood. After a short evening meal Purill brought Dockson into their tent. Alana was about to follow them, but Della approached her.  
"Al?"  
"Hum?"  
"Can we talk?"  
 "Certainly."  
"Alone."  
Alana looked at her confused, but nodded. They walked away from the tents. It wouldn't take long until the mists appeared, but Della didn't fear them. She had been out in the mists since her childhood just as Ash and Alana.  
"What is wrong?" Alana asked when they were out of eavesdropping distance for a Tineye. She guessed Della didn't want Jenno to listen into their conversation.  
"It's about Jenno." She sighed. "He wants to have a child."  
"So, what is the problem?"  
"I don't. Back in Luthadel I could tell him that I couldn't simply drop out for two years from my job. But out here he thinks it would be no problem."  
"Why don't you want children?"  
"I am no mother. I am not made for that."  
"How do you know if you never experienced it?"  
"I have seen it with my sister's children. I was annoyed. All the crying and nursing and always having a look at them, was a pain in the ass."  
"It is a difference with your own child, trust me."  
"I doubt that."  
Alana sighed. "So why coming to me?"  
"You're a healer. Isn't there anything else but Lisbit? He can smell it now, even hours later, and he was angry when I drank it lately."  
"I am surprised you know about Lisbit."  
"Rena gave me the tip a couple years ago."  
"Ah, I see." Alana considered the request. "There is the possibility to operate, but it would mean forever. To be honest, I wouldn't recommend that."  
"If it is the only way." Della shrugged.  
"No, Dell. I am afraid it will not solve your problem."  
"But I can't get pregnant anymore then. That _is_ a solution."  
"No, it isn't. Your problem is Jenno. He wants children and I can understand that. If I operate you against his will, it is like betraying him. I doubt he will forgive you that. It is one thing when he is angry at you for drinking Lisbit but another when you terminate the ability to get children."  
Della frowned. "I've never seen it that way."  
"You need to talk to him about that. Tell him your reasons. You have to find another way."  
"He is pretty stubborn about that."  
"And so are you." Alana winked at her friend. "However, I will think about it. Perhaps there is another way that can satisfy both of you."  
"I doubt that." Della shoved her hands in her trouser pockets, frustrated.  
"Wrong attitude, Dell. Where is your optimism?"  
"Lost somewhere between Luthadel and South Searan," she grumbled.  
Alana raised her eyebrows. "Come on. Let us settle down first and then we will see."  
Della nodded and they returned to the camp while the first patches of mists appeared in the air. Alana bid her good night and walked to her own tent.  
   
Dockson pulled up the blanket and watched the entrance. He had no idea where Alana was. Perhaps Ash had delayed her again. Suddenly the cover opened and she entered the tent. He smiled at her.  
"Sorry, Della wanted to talk to me," she said. Then she undressed and cuddled up against him. "What are you worried about?" she asked eventually.  
He sighed. "Tomorrow I'll meet your father."  
"And?"  
"Well, I'm not exactly in the best condition."  
"He is a healer," she said. "Besides I have told him about the attack and what happened to you." She smiled. "Above all, my message contained a request for Harris. You know he is a skilled carpenter."  
Dockson nodded. "You told me. What kind of request and what does it have to do with meeting your father?"  
"Have you ever seen a wheeled chair?"  
"A wheeled chair?" He shook his head. "No, what's that?"  
"A chair with wheels." She smiled benignly.  
"Yeah, right. Why haven't you said so before?" He rolled his eyes.  
"Honestly, it is a chair with wheels. It is made for people who can't walk after an operation for instance. We had a few at the hospital in Luthadel. They can be used permanently as well, though I don't think you will need one permanently." She gave him a kiss. "You will not need the help of a Pewterarm anymore. You can sit in the chair and move it with your hands."  
"You think he can build one until we arrive?" He looked down at her sceptical.  
She nodded. "It will not be perfect but okay for the first days. It was hard to describe it in the message. I will have to help him to build a better one."  
He pulled her close and buried his face in her hair. It had a slight scent as always. He closed his eyes and let the smell carry him away.

### » 18 «

   
Shortly after they moved on in the morning, Dockson could see the first skaa on the fields. He had wondered the day before that he hadn't seen people. Alana had explained that it was stupid to send out the plantation workers during heavy rainfall. There wasn't much they could do. It was a strange concept for him. He remembered that they had been out on the fields every day when he was a kid, no matter if it was hot, rainy or chilly. The taskmasters always had found some work for them to do. He watched the skaa on the fields.  
 _They still work a nobleman's field. Why? They are free now. They could leave and look for a better place._ He remembered the words of Lord Harsworth. _They have demanded better treatment, health care and payment._ He shook his head. Why would they do that? But on the other hand, where else should they go to?  
When the trek drew closer, the skaa raised their heads. There was a taskmaster but he didn't propel them for stopping their work. Instead he was watching the approaching people as well. One of the skaa shouted something, he couldn't understand. The same skaa doffed his hat and threw it in the air. He cheered at the trek. Some of the other skaa raised their hands and waved. And they smiled. Dockson's jaw dropped.  
The taskmaster simply bowed into Alana's direction. Dockson could see how she tilted her head in reply. She smiled at the workers while Kayla and Ash waved back to them.  
They met a couple more groups of field workers and Dockson was astonished to see that it was always the same reaction. The people were _happy_ to see them. With that last group even was a bunch of children, playing along the fields. They didn't work. They just played tag, laughing and squealing with glee, and the taskmaster simply ignored them.  
Dockson leaned back in the carriage. He could feel his stomach twist. Everything was true. The skaa here _were_ happy. They had no reason to leave. At least he couldn't see one. All of them were in the best of health, their clothing clean and in good order. They were smiling, even laughing. On his trip to Terris he had met lots of skaa, former plantation workers. None of them had seemed happy. They struggled to survive.  
He swallowed. What he saw troubled him terribly. There _were_ good noblemen. He almost had lost the woman he loved just because he couldn't accept that she was a noblewoman. He had almost hated her for being noble.  
"Are you okay?"  
Dockson opened his eyes and looked out of the carriage window. Alana had fallen back and now rode next to the carriage. She seemed worried.  
"Have I mentioned that I've been a fool?" he said.  
She smiled. "A couple times."  
He tried to smile back but it didn't work. He didn't just feel like a fool. He felt guilty. _How many noblemen have I killed who have helped skaa before? How many skaa have I betrayed by following my blind hatred? She has tried to tell me years ago but I never wanted to listen. It had been so easy. But I was so wrong._ He looked away.  
"Winslow," Alana called. "Stop the carriage. I think it is time that I maintain appearance." She smiled at the carriage driver.  
Dockson could hear him chuckle. He didn't understand what was so funny about her request.  
A moment later Alana climbed into the carriage and settled down next to him. He could see worry in her eyes. He caressed her face but it didn't make him feel better. She studied him for a while. He didn't even try to hide his feelings.  
Eventually she cuddled up against him. "I love you," she simply said.  
He snorted. "How can you love me although you know how many of your people I have killed, cold-bloodedly?"  
"Because I know you didn't do it out of base motives. You had a good reason to hate the nobility."  
"But I have never questioned it. I just killed them because they were noble. I might have killed _you_ just because you are noble."  
"Have you ever killed a noblewoman?"  
Dockson frowned about the question. Eventually he shook his head.  
"Why?"  
His frown deepened. "I don't know, maybe because they have never been on the streets at night, alone."  
"During your scams you were alone with noblewomen. How many noble _men_ have you killed in such situations?"  
"Some."  
"But never a noblewoman?"  
He shook his head. "No. Never."  
"Have you ever killed a woman?"  
Dockson paused. "I don't think so, at least not knowingly."  
"Have you ever killed a child?"  
"No."  
"Not even a noble one?"  
"No."  
"Why?"  
"I . . ." He trailed off. "What are you trying to tell me?"  
"You didn't kill randomly. You think you did, but you didn't."  
"How do you know?"  
She pulled back and met his eyes. "Because I _know_ you! You killed to protect your friends, you killed to survive and yes you killed at opportunity. But you _never_ hid in corners next to a keep or a nobleman's house waiting for the next nobleman to kill. You are no cutthroat. You fought a war, a war you didn't start. In a war you can't avoid casualties. You just never felt guilty about it because you hated the nobility. You simply shrugged it off with the thought 'only another nobleman'. It made it easier to deal with. It was like a protecting wall.  
"Now that hatred is dampened, perhaps because of me, perhaps because of Elend. I don't know. Anyway, your hatred got perforated and the wall around your conscience disintegrates. You are a soldier who suddenly realizes what he has done during a war, a war you never had the chance to avoid. Because you care! You care for your people. You care for the skaa. And above all, you care for your friends."  
Dockson looked at her, taken aback. He didn't know what to say. He never had seen it that way. It didn't make him less guilty but it made it easier to deal with it.  
"Dockson, I love you. I would never love you if you really were a monster."  
She cocked her head, apparently waiting for a reaction. But still he didn't know what to say. He just felt a boundless affection for that woman. He loved her so much, it almost hurt. He raised his hand and caressed her face. She closed her eyes and pressed her face against his palm. He bent forward and tenderly kissed her lips. A moment later he felt her arms around his neck pulling him close. He wrapped his arms around her waist and they engrossed in a long loving kiss.  
"I can see the manor," Winslow called from the driver's seat.  
They let go of each other and looked out of the window. Dockson could see a large building.  
"Finally we are home," Alana said, her eyes twinkling from joy. She took his hand and interlaced her fingers with his. Then she looked up and met his eyes, smiling fondly.  
Dockson smiled back at her. _Yes, finally_ , he thought. _And I am going to meet my daughter_. Suddenly he became flustered. His grip got firmer.  
Alana looked at him questioningly.  
"Do you think she will accept me? I mean, I am a stranger to her," he said quietly.  
"No, you aren't. She knows you. I have told her a lot about you. She even knows how you look like." Alana smiled deeply. "Do you remember? Harris."  
He nodded. "He is my uncle, you said."  
She nodded. "She loves him as much as I do. I am sure she will recognize you immediately." She gave him a kiss. "Don't worry."  
"Easy said." He smiled nervously.  
Alana chuckled.  
They approached the manor. Suddenly Alana perked up. Dockson could see a girl in front of the manor. It was wearing a dark blue dress and had long dark hair that was slightly curled.  
 _Enya!_ he realized.  
He could see the urge in Alana's eyes. She wanted to run to her.  
"Go," he said.  
She looked at him. Then she smiled and gave him another kiss. Afterwards she opened the door and jumped out of the moving carriage. She didn't even stumble.  
 _Pewter_ , he thought amazed.  
Alana dashed forward with pewter enhanced speed and arrived at the girl a couple seconds later. She picked her up and swirled her through the air. Eventually she pulled her close and embraced her. Dockson smiled. A tear ran down his cheek. He wiped it away immediately.  
The carriage finally stopped in front of the manor. Dockson watched Alana. A tall nobleman in his fifties approached her. She smiled at him deeply and eventually fell around his neck. _Her father_ , he thought and felt a lump in his throat.  
There was a man of about the same age in simple skaa clothing waiting next to him. Alana turned to him and hugged him as well. Dockson frowned. The man seemed familiar with his almost black hair with a few grey streaks, his stocky body and squarish face. Suddenly he realized why. _Harris!_  
After a few minutes of talking, Harris and Alana approached the carriage. The man was pushing an altered chair with wheels instead of chair legs. They stopped next to the carriage door. Alana waved Purill to join them. Afterwards she opened the carriage door and smiled at Dockson.  
"I thought you might prefer Purill helping you into your new carriage." She winked at him.  
"New carriage, hum?" Dockson chuckled.  
Purill helped him out of the carriage and sat him down in the chair. Alana stepped behind him.  
"I hope you don't mind if I push you around until you learn how to use it on your own." She grinned.  
"Push me around? I knew there was a snag to marry you."  
She laughed quietly, bent down and kissed him.  
When Dockson looked ahead again he saw the man, he assumed to be Harris, smiling. "You must be Harris," he said.  
The man nodded and approached him. They shook hands. "I guess Ally has told you."  
"You are my mother's brother."  
Harris nodded again. "I am glad that we finally meet. Not only because of our relationship." He looked at Alana and smiled fondly. "After all, you are the man who has stolen my little girl's heart."  
Alana laughed quietly.  
"Don't worry, she was just as thievish." Dockson grinned.  
Now Alana laughed heartily. Harris joined her.  
After a while she calmed down again and smiled at him. "Would you like to meet your daughter?" she asked softly.  
Dockson swallowed but nodded. "Guess I have missed too much of her life already."  
Alana wheeled him to her father who had laid his hand on Enya's shoulder. The girl seemed to be nervous. She shuffled with her feet and looked down.  
 _She is as afraid as I am_ , Dockson realized. It made him smile.  
Finally Alana stopped right in front of them. Dockson just nodded at her father for the moment and then looked at his daughter. She had Alana's dark, slightly curled hair and her features. In a way she was a younger copy of her mother. Only her eyes were different. Those weren't Alana's blue eyes, although he couldn't see the colour, yet, because she looked down to the ground. Still she was shuffling with her feet, her hands clasped in front of her.  
"Are you afraid?" he asked with soft voice.  
The girl nodded.  
"Me too."  
Enya looked up, a surprised expression on her face.  
Now he could see her grey eyes. His eyes.  
"Why are _you_ afraid?" she asked.  
"Well, I meet a beautiful young lady and everybody is telling me she is my daughter. Guess I am afraid someone could come and tell me it was just a joke."  
She blushed deeply.  
"You are as beautiful as your mother," he said and smiled at her fondly.  
The girl showed a hint of a smile.  
"Would you mind to hug me or am I too bold to ask for it?"  
Enya eyed him for a moment uncertain and glanced at her mother. Finally she overcame her fear. She hugged him carefully. Dockson embraced her gently.  
"I am glad to finally meet you, love," he whispered.  
Enya kissed his cheek and stepped back. She looked at her mother and smiled.  
Dockson raised his head to look up at Alana. Their eyes met and she gave him a fond smile. Then she turned to the tall nobleman who stood with them.  
"Father, this is Lord Dockson Cowell," she said. "My husband."  
Surprised he raised his eyebrows. "That part you left out in your message, somehow," he said. Then he turned to Dockson. "So, you are the man who gave me lots of headaches."  
Dockson was confused.  
Lord Leary started to laugh and then clasped hands with him. "I am glad you finally made it to South Searan, son."  



	5. Chapter 2 - Part 2

### » 19 «

   
Alana watched her father while he examined Dockson who lay on the bed in their sleeping room. Lord Brandon already repeated his tests. She didn't know if Dockson had realized that. She smiled at her husband when he looked into her direction. He seemed uncertain. She could see the worries in his eyes.  
Finally Brandon finished his examination and took a deep breath.  
"What is it?" Dockson asked.  
"I would like to review my results with Alana first, if you don't mind. She was the one who did the operation and knows the original state. Excuse us, please." He turned to Alana and together they left the sleeping room.  
On her way out she smiled reassuring at Dockson who didn't seem to be happy about their retreat.  
They sat down on the couch in the main room. Her father had chosen quarters for a single person on the ground floor for Dockson, as he couldn't deal with the stairs to the upper floors without help. Certainly, he hadn't known at this time that they were married already. They would have to find another solution.  
"What do you think?" Alana asked.  
Her father frowned. "He should be able to walk. I couldn't find anything physical that causes his paralysis. Actually, he is absolutely healthy, physically at least."  
"You think it is mental based?"  
He nodded. "His body is fine, the wounds are perfectly healed. I can't rule out nerve damage for certain, but I doubt it. You said there was no damage to his back?"  
"Not at all. The shoulder was shattered and I feared for his arm. But it got well soon. His head trauma apparently caused a two week coma but the position was not typically for an effect on his legs. I guessed the paralysis was caused by the heavy blow from above. The koloss hit him right here." She showed her father the way the koloss had swung his sword and the position where he had hit Dockson. "I guessed that his spine was compressed by the blow."  
"His spine is fine. The vertebrae are as flexible as they should be. I should be able to feel a difference. But there is none." He shook his head. "I am ninety-nine per cent sure the paralysis is mental based. Has he undergone emotional trauma lately?"  
"Beside the whole kingdom thing, the siege and the attack of a couple thousand koloss?" She raised her eyebrows. But then she shook her head. That wasn't real emotional trauma, at least not for Dockson. He had worked as a thief for about two decades, scamming the nobility, living on the edge, always afraid to be discovered by the ministry. She doubted that _this_ could have caused an emotional trauma to a man like him. Then she remembered Ham's words. _I am afraid a part of Dox died with Kell._ "The only real emotional trauma I know of is Kelsier's death. He wasn't just his best friend. They were more like brothers, close brothers. I don't think that he is over it. I am still missing the old mirth in his jokes although it sometimes flashes through. Ham said it was gone with Kelsier's death."  
"Why, if someone can find a way to heal him then it is you. He loves you very much, that is highly visible. And perhaps Enya can help as well."  
Alana nodded.  
Lord Brandon stood and prepared to leave.  
"Dad?"  
"Hum?"  
"There is something else. We have to talk about certain issues that came to my knowledge during the last weeks."  
"Certain issues? What kind of issues?"  
Alana looked at him. "We should talk about it in your study. I will meet you there in an hour."  
"I was about to leave for the hospital."  
"No, you will stay." Alana stood and held his eyes. "Those issues concern my mother and Elyria."  
Lord Brandon frowned at her for a while, but eventually he nodded. "Very well, then. I will meet you in the study in an hour." He left the room.  
Alana closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled softly. Finally she returned to Dockson who sat on the bed's corner now. He tried to reach his wheeled chair but they had positioned it too far away.  
"Wait," she said and pulled the chair close. She was about to help him to sit in it, but he stopped her.  
"Let me try it on my own," he asked.  
She nodded and waited. It took a couple minutes but finally he made it. Satisfied he grinned.  
"So, now. What are my results?"  
"Let's go over to the main room first," she said and wheeled him to the other room. She sat down in front of him on one of the cushioned chairs. Then she cocked her head and studied him for a moment.  
Dockson frowned. "Bad news?"  
Alana shook her head. "Actually, no. Rather good news, I guess."  
"You guess?"  
"You are healthy . . . physically."  
Dockson raised one eyebrow. "I can't walk. And you are telling me I am healthy?"  
"Physically, yes."  
"Whatever that means."  
"It means that your body is healthy."  
He frowned. "But why can't I walk then?"  
"Because something in your head is blocking you."  
"Something in my head?" His frown deepened. "I don't understand."  
"We call it emotional trauma."  
Incredulously Dockson shook his head. "What should have caused it? The siege? The attack of the koloss?"  
"Kelsier's death," Alana said with soft voice.  
Dockson inhaled sharply. He turned his head and stared out of the window. A deep frown bedecked his forehead. "I don't get it," he said eventually. "What have my legs to do with Kell's death?"  
"I don't know. Maybe unconsciously you try to punish yourself for surviving." She squatted down in front of him, took his hands and searched his eyes.  
Finally he looked down at her.  
"Ham gave you Enya's picture when we left Luthadel," she said. "I have seen how you looked at him that moment. You wanted to ask him if he had found that as well." She pulled out a folded paper with blood stains on it. Her nickname was written on it in neat handwriting.  
Dockson's eyes widened.  
"He gave it to me when he came to tell me that you died."  
He stared at the paper. "You read it?" he asked quietly.  
She nodded. "When that koloss attacked you, you were ready to die. But it is not just that, isn't it?" Again she felt the pain she always felt when she thought about it. "You _wanted_ to die there, didn't you? Be honest, please."  
Dockson swallowed and looked away.  
Alana took his hands again. "Please, tell me," she whispered.  
"Yes, I wanted to die, to follow Kell," he replied quietly, without looking at her.  
She closed her eyes for a moment. Tears ran down her cheeks. "Do you think Kell would have let you die when he had been there instead of me?"  
Dockson frowned but didn't answer.  
"He would have given his life to save you. And after all he _has_ given his life to save you. Kelsier died to save his people. And you are part of those people, Dox." She pressed his hand to make him look at her.  
Their eyes met.  
"Think about it," she added quietly. Then she stood and leaned down to kiss his lips. "Think about it," she repeated. She turned and left him alone.  
   


### » 20 «

   
The sun lit the study when Alana entered it. Her father sat at his desk, scribbling something. He looked up when she sat down on the chair in front of his desk.  
He put his pen aside. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked.  
"On our way back we were overtaken by mists during the day. Some of our group fell sick including Ash. All of them Snapped in the process."  
"They Snapped?" Curious he leaned forward. "The mists made them Snap?"  
Alana nodded.  
"That is fascinating. How did you find out that they Snapped?"  
"Dockson saw the pattern. But that is not what I wanted to talk about." She frowned. "You can discuss this with Dox later if you are interested in details." She clenched her teeth. "Ash was sick for the longest time." She looked into her father's eyes. "He is Mistborn now."  
"I never thought a skaa could be Mistborn. That is interesting."  
"Don't take me for a fool, father!" she flared up, abruptly standing and banging her hands on the table. "Skaa can't be Mistborn. You know that, as well as I do. You must be at least a half-blood to become Mistborn," she scolded.  
Brandon was taken aback by her outburst. Eventually he looked down, ashamed.  
"I was right," she whispered shocked. She had known it already but seeing his reaction made it feel worse. "You _are_ his father." She sank back into her chair. "How could you? How could you betray her and sire her at the same time? How dare you!" Alana's voice broke.  
"It wasn't planned," he whispered.  
"Not planned. Is that your excuse?" Anger was back in her voice.  
He shook his head. "No. There is no excuse." He looked at her. "But you have to believe me. I didn't do it on purpose. It just . . . happened."  
"How?"  
Brandon took a deep breath. "Have you ever wondered why Elyria's husband disappeared?"  
Alana frowned.  
"Tokal wasn't a good man. He beat and raped her regularly."  
"Why didn't she just leave him?" she asked.  
"You know her. She endured it. She even tried to defend him." He shook his head. "I found her one evening in the garden where she hid from him. He had beaten her terribly. I cared for her wounds." He swallowed. "She seemed so fragile and helpless. I just wanted to give her the feeling that she wasn't alone." He lowered his voice. "It went farther than I had planned, way farther. It was only that one time, you have to believe me. I have never betrayed Fiora again. I loved your mother."  
"Did you know that Ash is your son?"  
He shook his head. "Not until he grew so tall. Tokal was barely taller than Elya."  
"Elya?" Alana perked up. "You still call her Elya? How can that be if it was only one time?"  
"I like her. I care for her. I never regretted what I did in relation to _her_. I regretted it because I have betrayed your mother. Something I never wanted to do. I know lots of noblemen have mistresses but I never had."  
For a moment Alana didn't say a word. She frowned deeply. Still she was angry at him. "Did Mom know?" she asked eventually. "Did she die because of it?"  
"I don't know." He met her eyes. "I really don't know. She asked us to raise you and Ash like brother and sister but I don't know if it was because she knew it or just because she wanted you to have a brother." He paused. "You know that your mother had a brother. They have been very close."  
Yes, she knew. Her father had been his healer. Her parents had met because of it. But her mother's brother had finally died from Metzendorff decease, a terminal illness.  
"What happened to Tokal?" she asked.  
"Tokal found it out, or he guessed it. I don't know. The day after that night he attacked me with a dagger."  
Alana raised her eyebrows. "A plantation skaa attacking his master?"  
Her father nodded. "I was just as surprised. He was no fighter. I was able to receive his dagger. But he swore that I wouldn't have to worry about killing Elyria myself, as it was my responsibility. He said he would do it for me, with pleasure." He swallowed. "I still had his dagger in my hand," he added with lowered voice.  
"You killed him?"  
He nodded. " _I_ had made a mistake. I didn't want _her_ to pay for it. It is enough that Alana has paid for my mistake."  
Alana swallowed. She remembered the story about her namesake very well. "You have never touched her again?"  
Lord Brandon didn't answer.  
Alana thinned her eyes. "You said you didn't betray Mom again," she growled.  
"I didn't. I didn't touch Elyria again as long as your mother was alive." He looked away. "But I did later," he added quietly.  
Now Alana was surprised. "Excuse me?"  
"We found together again when you were in Luthadel," he said ashamed. "We both missed you so much."  
Alana studied her father for a while. She could see the guilt in his eyes, but also something else. Something she knew pretty well. "Do you love her?" she asked.  
Their eyes met. Brandon nodded. "Yes."  
"Then marry her."  
"What?" He was confused. "A minute ago you wanted to kill me for sleeping with her, and now you tell me to _marry_ her?"  
"I _still_ am angry that you betrayed my mother. But I _do_ believe you that it was just once and you didn't do it on purpose. But if you love Elyria, you should marry her. You are the father of her child. The Lord Ruler is dead. No one will blame you for marrying a skaa, particularly since she is of high standing now."  
Brandon frowned. "What do you mean?"  
"She is Dockson's aunt. Dockson was ennobled by Elend. And since he worked for the king as his advisor and was head of the kingdom's finances, his house has the same standing as a Great House. He chose to keep the name Cowell, what is my name now as well. If you marry Elyria, you will marry Lady Elyria Cowell, member of House Cowell."  
Brandon stared at her in disbelief. Then he suddenly laughed. "You never cared about standings and now you recite me the standing of your husband's newly founded house."  
She shrugged but smiled. "I had to be prepared for Lady Ortwin."  
"She is going to be thrilled."  
Both laughed.  
Eventually Brandon looked at her again, chewing his lip the same way she did it from time to time, and Ash too she realized now. "Have you told Ash about your conclusion?"  
"Yes. But he already knew it. He has made the connection at the same time you did, when he grew so tall."  
"I guess I should talk to him," he sighed. "But first I have to talk to Elyria. Do you have any advice for a good marriage proposal?"  
Alana just smiled.  
   


### » 21 «

   
The knocking at their door let them look up. They had finished dinner a couple minutes before and Kayla was about to clear the table.  
"Come in," she just answered because the door wasn't locked.  
Lord Brandon and Elyria entered the room. "Good Evening," the nobleman said. "I hope we do not interrupt your evening meal."  
Kayla curtsied. "No, we have finished it already. What can we do for you, my lord?"  
"We would like to talk to Ash in private, if you don't mind."  
Ash bowed to him as usual. "I hold no secrets from my wife, my lord."  
"Please, Ash," Elyria said. "You can tell her afterwards."  
"It's okay," Kayla said. She smiled and turned to her children. "Come on, let's go and see after Lady Lyddy."  
After they had left, Ash gestured at the lounge. His mother and Lord Brandon went over and seated themselves. He joined them.  
"What is so important that you wanted to talk to me alone?" Ash asked.  
Lord Leary opened his mouth to reply but Elyria laid her hand on his arm. "Let me talk," she said.  
He nodded.  
His mother turned to him. "I have rarely spoken about Tokal before," she began. "You have never asked and I was glad about it. He wasn't a good husband. He has beaten me from time to time."  
Ash frowned. "I know."  
"One day he was so angry, he beat me hard. I was afraid and ran away. I hid in the Leary garden. Lord Brandon found me there and cared for my wounds. I was so scared and agitated." She paused. "He cared for me and listened. I felt safe with him, safe and protected. It had been a while since I had felt so good."  
"Mom, if you are trying to tell me that Lord Brandon is my father." He paused and looked at the nobleman. "I already know that."  
"I know," Brandon said. "Alana told me. She said you realized it because you grew so tall. Is that correct?"  
Ash nodded. "But not just that. You and my mother have always been closer than a skaa woman and a nobleman should have been. First I thought it was caused by our relationship to Ally. But then I grew taller than every other skaa on the plantation. Uncle Harris told me that Tokal was average height. I think he knows it as well." He paused. "When you made me guard at your house I was able to watch you two. Once I have seen you hugging and kissing." He shrugged. "That was the last confirmation I needed."  
"Why didn't you say a word?" Elyria asked.  
"I wanted _you_ to tell me. I knew I was a forbidden child, a half-blood. If the obligators had found out they would have killed me immediately."  
She nodded. "You are right. I should have told you earlier."  
"You know that Al and I had a stage when we wanted to marry. Why didn't you tell us then?"  
"I couldn't tell her," Brandon replied. "I was afraid about her reaction. Although she has never known her mother she loves her very much, she even adores her as the perfect person. I was afraid that she would hate me for what I did."  
"Do you regret it?"  
"What? Sleeping with your mother that night or having a son with her?"  
"Both."  
"I only regret to have betrayed Fiora. I never wanted to do that. I still feel guilty about that. But I don't regret the night with your mother and, certainly, I don't regret having you as my son." He smiled fondly. "I am proud of what has become of you."  
Ash outlined a smile. It felt good to hear that. "Did Ally's mother really ask you to raise us together or was that just an excuse?" he asked curious.  
"She asked for it. But as I already told Alana, I don't know if she knew it or if it was because of her love for her own brother."  
Ash studied his mother. "Do _you_ regret it?" he asked her.  
She shook her head.  
"However," Brandon looked at her and smiled fondly. "There is something else we wanted to tell you. Your mother and I will marry. She accepted my hand in marriage." His smile deepened.  
Ash raised his eyebrows. "That's unexpected."  
"We love each other and now that the Lord Ruler is dead, I can marry whoever I want."  
Elyria smiled at her son. "I hope we have your blessing."  
Ash chuckled. "Yes." He stood and hugged his mother. For a moment he stood in front of his father, uncertain. Finally he hugged him as well.  
Brandon smiled. "I will make it official as soon as I can."  
Ash nodded. "What about me? Will you keep it a secret?"  
"No. I think there will be two announcements."  
"Good." Ash smiled. "I would like to talk to Ally about it. Do you know where she is?"  
Brandon nodded. "She was playing with Enya when I have seen her last. Perhaps she is still at the parlour."  
   
"Who taught you to play Regrac so well?" Alana cursed.  
"Granny Lyddy," Enya replied grinning.  
"Oh, I see. I left you too long alone with her," she grumbled. "I guess I have to practise some more."  
Dockson laughed.  
Alana looked at him with a strange expression. "You know who has to practise with me?" she said.  
"There is a problem. Someone has to teach me that game first." He smiled innocent.  
"I want to teach you," Enya immediately said.  
"If you teach me, so that I will be better than your mother."  
"Certainly."  
"Oh, yeah. Nice. Ally against me."  
Dockson laughed heartily again and Enya snickered.  
"Guess you have to practise with me then," Ash said. He had watched the scenery smiling, standing in the doorway.  
Alana looked up. "Hey!" She smiled at him.  
"Can we talk?" he asked.  
She nodded and stood.  
"Would you mind to take your chair with you? My daughter is going to teach me Regrac." Dockson grinned.  
Alana rolled her eyes and pulled her chair away. Dockson wheeled at its former position and grabbed her hand when she turned to leave. Their eyes met and she smiled. Then she leaned down and gave him a kiss.  
"Now you can go," he said afterwards, smiling deeply.  
Ash went to the balcony and Alana followed him. She shut the doors. The sun had set already and the mists were obscuring everything. Ash turned his pewter on against the cool wind that was blowing. He guessed Alana would do the same. They stopped at the railing.  
"My parents have visited me earlier," he said eventually.  
"So they have talked to you."  
He nodded. "Our father is going to make it official as soon as possible."  
"That is good." She smiled deeply and laid her arm around his waist.  
He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head against him. For a moment they just stood and looked out, although he doubted that she could see something. With his tin burning he could see the stars.  
"Do you remember that night with the heavy rain, when the fields were completely flooded?" he asked.  
Alana nodded. "That was awful."  
"But it had one advantage."  
She frowned. Obviously she didn't know what he meant.  
"That night for a short time we had clear sky and no mists."  
"You are right. I remember."  
"And when the rain stopped and the clouds disappeared we went out. Do you remember the stars?"  
"Yes," she whispered. "It was beautiful."  
"I can see them right now."  
She looked at him. "With tin?"  
He nodded.  
Alana sighed. "I envy you for that."  
"It would be a good night for a stroll."  
She smiled but shook her head. "Not tonight. We just arrived. I am tired of being out at night. I just want to sleep in my bed for a couple nights."  
Ash sighed. "What a pity."  
Alana gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Another time."  
"However, do you know that our father proposed to my mother?"  
"Yes." She smiled. "It will make it perfect. We will be a real family then, Lord Ash Leary."  
He laughed quietly. "Now I wear that name and you have changed yours. We weren't meant to wear the same name at the same time."  
She smiled at him deeply. "It seems so."  
   


### » 22 «

   
The wheels grinded on the ground when Dockson left the manor. He rolled down the ramp that had been placed on one side of the main entrance's stairs. Unfortunately he gained too much speed and rolled over the courtyard. He tried to stop the wheeled chair, but the wheels rolled too fast and he feared for his hands. Dockson cursed. Eventually he came to halt on the soil that broke his speed abruptly. He almost fell forward out of the chair. He sighed relieved when he leaned back again. Then he tried to free the chair from the soil but one of the wheels had been caught. He cursed again.  
"Need a hand?"  
Dockson turned his head and spotted a grinning Purill who approached him. He nodded. "That thing definitely needs a getting used to." He grinned abashed.  
The Thug chuckled. He freed the wheel and pushed him back onto the compacted ground of the courtyard. Then he moved in front of him to meet his eyes. "Guess you won't need it long enough to become a master," he said.  
Dockson grimaced. "I hope so."  
"Hey, I've seen your progress. It doesn't seem to be much, I know, but I think Ally's right. It just takes time. Did her father check you?"  
He nodded.  
"What did he say?"  
Dockson frowned when he remembered what Alana had told him. Then he just shrugged. "You know how healers are, they say a lot but you rarely understand what they're talking about."  
Purill raised his eyebrow. "Ally never struck me as one of _these_ healers. However, none of my business I guess."  
Dockson suddenly felt guilty. Purill had proven to be a good friend during the last months. He had endured his bad temper, had listened to his doubts and he had reassured him. "They think it's mental," he grinded out between his teeth.  
Purill looked at him confused. "That sounds . . . disturbing."  
"It is, trust me."  
"If you need someone to talk . . ." The Thug didn't finish.  
"Thanks. However, guess I should find out how to slow this thing down alone."  
"I'd suggest not gaining much speed at all."  
"Might be helpful, yes."  
Purill glanced toward the manor. "Guess you get visitors."  
Dockson followed his gaze. Alana approached him in company of an elder woman.  
"I need to get back anyway. Lord Leary wants to talk to us about our future on the plantation."  
The men clasped hands and Purill withdrew. He nodded at Alana when passing her. She smiled at him.  
"Hey," Dockson said when they reached him.  
"I see you train," she replied and leaned down to give him a kiss.  
"It only provides me freedom when I know how to use it. As much as I love you, I hate it to be pushed around all day." He winked at her.  
She chuckled in reply. "There is someone who would like to meet you." She looked at the elder woman. "Dox, this is my Moomy, Elyria."  
"We haven't met yesterday," Elyria said. She walked over to him and offered her hands.  
He took them.  
"Welcome on the Leary plantation, Dockson."  
"Thank you. You are my mother's sister?" he asked, realizing that she didn't have any resemblance to his mother. While he could easily see his blood relationship with Harris, there was no resemblance to her. She was average size with a pointed face and brown eyes while his mother had had a squarish face and grey eyes.  
She nodded. "I remember when you were a baby. I helped with your birth." She sighed. "Do you have any idea if Enya and Sevran are still alive?"  
"They are dead," he said quietly.  
Elyria exhaled slowly, a sad expression in her face.  
"When I went to Terris about a year ago I made a detour and passed Lord Devinshae's plantation. The lord was gone but lots of the skaa were still there." He hesitated and looked down. "They told me that Lord Devinshae killed my parents to state an example when I ran away."  
"I am so sorry," Alana whispered.  
He took her hand and squeezed it. "I suspected it before. It was common procedure on many plantations."  
"Not here." She shook her head firmly.  
"I know." Dockson smiled at her. "After all _there are_ good noblemen who treat the skaa well."  
Alana smiled back at him, caressing his hand with her thumb.  
"He not only treats us well," Elyria said. "We have lived under Lord Devinshae before and expected Brandon to be similar. But we were very surprised when he started to change things. First we were suspicious but eventually we realized that we could trust him."  
"Do you love him?" Dockson asked bluntly.  
Elyria looked at him, surprised. She shared a gaze with Alana who simply nodded. "Yes, I do."  
"Good." He smiled.  
"Did Ally tell you who else of your family lives here?" Elyria asked.  
"She only told me about my grandparents, you and Harris. Well, and Ash of course."  
She nodded. "There are more. You have a lot of cousins as well."  
Dockson snorted. "When I was told that my parents are dead, I thought I was alone. My whole family dead." He looked at his wife. "Then Ally told me about you. First I didn't believe her. It was too much a coincidence to be true."  
"Sometimes I believe the old tales Makan always tells the kids. That there is someone guiding us," Elyria replied. "Perhaps it was meant that you two meet."  
He smiled. "Perhaps. However, I would like to meet the rest of my family. Do you think that is possible?" He looked at the women.  
"Certainly," Alana nodded. "Some live in other hovels, but that shouldn't be a problem. We can organize a gathering."  
"That sounds like a big family."  
"Why, they are skaa. What did you expect?" Alana grinned.  
"I have never seen a big family among the skaa, especially among the plantation skaa. Not with the circumstances under the Lord Ruler's reign."  
His wife grimaced. "I am glad things changed," she said quietly.  
"I am glad that things went different on this plantation." He smiled at her. Then he snorted and shook his head in disbelief. "I thought I was alone and now I might have a family bigger than most thieving crews."  
   


### » 23 «

   
Alana stood on the balcony and watched the sunrise. She had been up early as always. With her pewter she never felt fatigued and it was a bad habit to down a vial immediately after waking up and then burning pewter to be wide awake in an instant.  
They had returned two days ago but still she couldn't believe that she was back at home. She breathed in the clear morning air. There was no ash and no smoke in the air like in Luthadel. She could hear many birds in the trees. And when she looked out she saw nothing but a beautiful landscape, no ash stained buildings blocked her view. She turned and gazed through the open balcony door at the bed. Dockson still slept there. She smiled deeply. Her biggest dream had come true. The man she loved was with her at her home.  
Alana pushed herself away from the railing and sauntered inside. She left the balcony door open to let the fresh morning breeze in. She stopped at the bed and carefully sat down on its edge. Then she bent forward and kissed Dockson. He moved but didn't wake up. She caressed his cheek and kissed him again. This time he opened his eyes.  
"Good morning, my love," she said softly.  
"Good morning," he replied drowsy.  
"You missed the sunrise."  
"It has been a long night." He grimaced.  
Alana chuckled and kissed him again. Suddenly his arms were around her, and he pulled her down and around. She yelped in surprise. She came to halt on her back and he looked down at her, leaning half over her, grinning big.  
"How can you be wide awake in seconds without pewter?" she asked.  
"It's a matter of training."  
"As a thief, I guess."  
He nodded. "Some of my old habits will never die."  
She smiled. "What about breakfast?"  
"What about an appetizer?" He bent down and kissed her deeply.  
"Didn't you complain about a long night just a minute ago?" she said breathlessly afterwards.  
"I never _complained_." He smiled impishly and she felt his hand opening the belt of her robe.  
   
When they arrived at the breakfast table Alana immediately realized the changes. The table was set with five additional places. The sight made her smile.  
Lady Lyddy and Lord Aron already were present. Alana curtsied to Lyddy and then gave her a kiss on her cheek. Enya just embraced the old woman.  
"Good morning, my dear ones," Lyddy said smiling. Her white hair was pinned up in a complicated hair-dress as always. By now Alana knew that this was Idara's handiwork. And it didn't take her hours as she had first expected but only about thirty minutes.  
Alana sat down next to Dockson and Enya joined her a moment later.  
"It seems the family is growing pretty fast lately," Aron said, nodding toward the new places.  
"Perhaps." Alana just smiled. She hoped that it meant that her father would make the official announcement to the family, although there was no obligator present. But by now the presence of an obligator wasn't necessary anymore.  
Soon after, her father joined them with Elyria. Ash followed with his family. Alana smiled at them. They all sat down at the table but her father.  
When Lady Ortwin and Lord Benten arrived, the noblewoman frowned at the sight of the five skaa, but sat down wordlessly. She had accepted Alana's marriage to Dockson without fainting after she had told her about his high standing in Luthadel. But how would she react on the coming announcements? Alana leaned back and watched her.  
Lord Brandon cleared his throat and looked around. Everyone fell silent.  
"Some of you might wonder why we are more people now at this table. Well, there is a simple reason." He looked at Ash and smiled. "Perhaps you have already guessed it, Ash is my son. With this day I will acknowledge him as my legitimate child and thereby heir to this house."  
Lady Ortwin gasped.  
Alana just rolled her eyes at it. The part with the heir was surprising to her as well, but she didn't mind. She smiled at her brother who grinned broadly.  
"Furthermore I would like to announce that I proposed to Elyria. We will get married as soon as possible." He looked down at her, smiling fondly.  
Lady Ortwin groaned but didn't object, what made Alana wonder. She had expected an outburst by now, or at least a blackout. She smiled deeply at her father. He replied it with a wink at her.  
"Within two minutes you doubled the size of our family," Lord Benten chuckled. "Good work, brother."  
"They are skaa," Lady Ortwin now called out, outraged. "All of them."  
"I don't see the problem, dear. The restrictions of the Lord Ruler died with him. I only see relatives."  
"But a skaa _heir_ to the house!"  
"Actually, Ash is a half-blood. So he is half noble."  
Alana smiled. She enjoyed the disputation between her uncle and his wife. He always had supported her close relationship to the skaa although he had never told his wife. It was the first time he took position in public.  
"I can't believe that you are defending that."  
"He is Mistborn! Isn't that reason enough for you?"  
She opened her mouth to reply something but shut it again. Obviously she wasn't happy at all.  
"Actually, they even are high nobility, both of them," Alana threw in. "Dockson was not only advisor to the Luthadel king but also head of finance," she explained to her aunt again. "He was a core member of the king's inner circle until he retired. That makes House Cowell to one of the Great Houses, as I told you already. Elyria is Dockson's aunt and Ash his cousin. That means they are members of House Cowell. That's what you can tell your friends, Aunt Ortwin. The fusion of House Leary and House Cowell already made us more powerful. If father marries _Lady Elyria Cowell_ , it will only ally our houses even more. And it is the right decision because they already have a child, a male scion."  
Lady Ortwin frowned at her but finally nodded. "You are probably right, dear."  
"What surname do _I_ have now, actually?" Enya suddenly asked.  
"Cowell, of course," Alana replied.  
"But I thought that name was a fake. My father is skaa. Skaa don't have surnames." The girl was confused.  
"I am and I always will be born skaa, and I'm proud of it," Dockson said. He glanced at Lady Ortwin. "But Emperor Venture ennobled me. I finally chose the name your grandfather thought up to protect your mother and you. After all, it is a name _you_ are already used to as well as the local nobility."  
Enya still was confused but eventually nodded. "Lady Enya Cowell sounds good to me."  
Everybody laughed.  



	6. Chapter 2 - Part 3

### » 24 «

   
They were wearing hats with brims as protection against the red sun that already burned down at them, caused by the lack of ash in the air. Dockson never had worn a hat before. As a plantation skaa they never had had the luxury to wear hats against the sun, and in Luthadel he had preferred to wear cloaks.  
Alana wheeled Dockson to the hovels closest to the manor. When they entered the main hovel it took a while until he had adjusted his eyes to the shadow inside. He had seen many hovels before, including the one he used to live in as a kid. But this one was different. There still was a large room, but the rear section of the hovel was separated by a wall. Several openings provided access to that area. He wondered about that. Usually a hovel was only one large room with a central cooking hearth that also provided the heating during the cold days. Plantation skaa ate there and slept on the bare ground. He also could see comfortable furniture, tables and chairs like in a meeting room.  
Harris approached them. He smiled broadly. "Welcome home, Dockson," he said.  
"Home?" Dockson was confused.  
"This is the hovel you were born in. Though the building has changed since, it is the same place."  
Dockson felt his heart drop. He didn't remember the place but the thought that his parents had lived here and his mother had given birth to him in this hovel made him swallow. Alana laid her hand on his shoulder.  
"Does someone of my family still live here?"  
"Some of them. Some of your cousins and your grandparents. Elyria and I used to live here too, until we moved into the manor."  
A little girl about four or five years old appeared and picked at Alana's skirt. When Alana turned and looked at her questioningly, the girl just held her hand up to her. It had a bad bloody abrasion.  
"Niela, how did you do _that_?" Alana sighed and knelt down beside her. The girl just shrugged. "Harris, can you bring me the healing bag, please."  
"Sure." The man disappeared in the separated part of the hovel.  
Dockson made a mental note to ask his wife about it later. Harris returned soon after with a bag and handed it to Alana.  
She cleaned the wound with a fluid that Dockson assumed also to be a numbing agent, because the girl stopped wincing after a minute. Finally Alana bandaged the hand.  
"Keep the bandage at least today," she ordered.  
Niela nodded.  
"Promise!"  
The girl nodded again. Then she ran back to her friends who analysed the bandage immediately.  
"Why do kids always have to get one abrasion after another?" Alana sighed.  
"I remember a little girl that had abrasions on a regular basis too."  
Alana blushed and Harris chuckled. Dockson grinned.  
"May I abduct your husband to meet his family?" the man eventually asked.  
Alana nodded. "I will be at the workshop," she said. "Looking over your drawings for the new wheeled chair."  
Dockson winced. He would have preferred if she stayed. He didn't know these people and he was nervous. This wasn't just a meeting with business associates he was used to. This was his _family_ , a family he hadn't known about.  
Alana leaned down to him and gave him a kiss. "Don't worry. They are good people," she whispered smiling.  
"You know them?"  
"Of course I do. I have spent most of my childhood at this place." She smiled at him and then turned to leave. He followed her with his eyes until she disappeared in the sunlight.  
"You ready?" Harris asked.  
Dockson took a deep breath and then nodded.  
Harris wheeled him to the other side of the large room. There stood some smaller tables with cushioned chairs occupied by several people. They looked up when they approached them. An old woman with squarish features and grey eyes smiled deeply at him.  
Taken aback Dockson gasped. The smile reminded him terribly of his mother. He immediately knew who the woman was. He fought back tears. His mother had died because of him. How could he face her mother?  
The woman stood and circled the table. Dockson took his hat off and straightened his hair.  
"You must be Dockson," the woman said.  
He nodded.  
"I am Swefa, mother of Harris, Elyria and Enya." She took his hands. "When Lord Devinshae took you and your mother away from me, I thought I would never see you again. And now you are here." She smiled fondly. Eventually she turned. "Gizer! Come over and say hello to your grandson." Swefa smiled at Dockson again. "You have to excuse your grandfather. His eyesight is fading since last summer."  
"You remind me a lot of my mother," Dockson said with a wistful voice.  
Her smile deepened. "Everybody said Enya was the spitting image of me. I hope your parents are well."  
Dockson let his head drop. "No," he whispered. "They died because of me."  
Swefa frowned.  
"Tell us," a croaky voice said. An old man hobbled to them. Apparently his leg was stiff. But else he seemed to be in good shape for his age. "Tell us, boy. Tell us your story. What happened after that bastard of a nobleman took you away from us."  
Dockson looked up at the man. Their eyes met. There was no disgust or hostility in his wrinkled face rather curiousity and sympathy.  
"Gizer, give the boy some time," Swefa said. But Dockson could see the thirst of knowledge in her eyes as well.  
"No, it is okay," he said. "You should know. But it is a longer story."  
"Come over. Your cousins certainly want to hear your story as well."  
Harris wheeled him to the table and introduced everyone. Eventually, Dockson told them the story of his life.  
   


### » 25 «

   
The night obscured the details of the room. Dockson stared at the ceiling. He could hear Alana breathe slowly next to him. She was asleep. He turned his head to watch her for a moment. She lay with her back to him. He raised his hand to touch her but then let it drop again. He sighed silently.  
The day had been eventful. The meeting with his family had disturbed him much more than he was willing to acknowledge. Against all odds they hadn't rejected him after he had told them why his parents had to die. They rather had confirmed that he had done the right thing.  
Harris had left them after a while to join Alana. They wanted to build a better version of a wheeled chair together. When Dockson had told his grandparents that he had married Alana they had been very pleased. They had told him a lot about her childhood among the skaa and how often she had appeared in the middle of the night just to sleep at her Moomy's and Ash's side instead of alone at the manor.  
Dockson pushed back his sheet. With his hands he put his still paralysed legs over the edge of the bed. He fished his robe and threw it over his shoulders. Finally he grabbed the wheeled chair that stood next to his bed and pulled it closer. With some effort he was able to get into it without waking Alana. Then he wheeled to the double-winged balcony door and opened it. Mists swirled around him when he entered the balcony. He swallowed but wheeled on to the railing.  
"Kell? Can you hear me, you damn bastard?" he said with hushed voice. "They call you Lord of the Mists. They say you live on within the mists." He snorted. "If that's so, listen! Ally says you died for us. You died to offer us a better life. Is that true?"  
Dockson stared at the mists, looking for a sign. But the mists didn't even change slightly.  
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked. "You just got yourself killed and I had to clean up the mess you've caused. There was not even a letter for me with an explanation. Vin got a personal letter. What about me? I was your oldest friend. Don't I have the right to get an explanation? I was willing to follow you. I even was willing to follow you into death. Damn! I almost lost the woman I love twice because of you." He shook his head."She thinks I can't walk because of you, because you died. And I feel guilty for having the opportunity of a good life. Damn, yes! I have that opportunity. If you really died to offer us a better life, then give me my legs back."  
Dockson pulled himself up at the railing. The wheeled chair rolled away and stopped at the doors. Dockson tried to stand on his feet but his legs refused their cooperation. Eventually his strength faded and he sank to the ground, sitting in the mists finally.  
"Dox!" Alana hurried over to him. "What are you doing?" She knelt down next to him.  
"You said if I overcome my trauma I can walk again," he said. "That damn bastard just walked off and left me with a mess. I can't allow him to hamper your life as well. It has to work. I don't want to be a cripple." He couldn't suppress the desperation in his voice.  
"Even if you overcome your trauma your legs don't just work from one second to another," she replied. "Although we train twice a day, your muscles have degenerated. You haven't used them for months. It will take a while until you can walk again."  
"But I am not even able to stand. It doesn't work." Tears appeared in his eyes, tears of frustration and anger.  
"Don't give up, Dox. Give it time. We have all the time we want." She embraced him.  
Dockson pulled her close and hid his head at her throat.  
"Come on, let us go inside," she said after a moment with lowered voice. "It is cool out here."  
Suddenly he became aware that she was completely naked. He pulled away from her. "Can't you burn pewter?" he asked.  
She shook her head. "I burn it away before I go to sleep. You used that once against me." She grimaced.  
He didn't reply to that.  
Alana got on her feet and went over to fetch the wheeled chair. Then she helped him back into it. She wheeled him inside and closed the door. Then she turned and rubbed her upper arms.  
"For late spring it is still way too cold at night," she said.  
"The mists stay longer. That means less sun during the day and thereby less time to warm the ground."  
She nodded. "Let us go back to bed. There it is warm."  
Alana tried to help him into the bed, but he refused it. He wanted to do it alone. Finally he made it. They snuggled up to each other.  
"Ally?"  
"Hum?"  
"I'm afraid. What if we can't find a way to overcome that trauma?"  
"It wouldn't change anything between us. I told you that already," she replied softly.  
"I don't want to be a cripple. I want to walk again. I want to race with Enya. I want to dance with you at a ball. I want to go wherever I want to without restrictions."  
"Then remember that every day."  
He sighed.  
"When Kelsier were here right now, what would he tell you?" she asked.  
He frowned and considered it. Finally he knew the answer. "Stand up and walk!"  
   


### » 26 «

   
Ash found his father in the study. "You wanted to talk to me?" he said.  
"Yes." Brandon smiled at him. "I was thinking about your Mistborn training. Unfortunately we don't have a Mistborn to train you. But I know a Lurcher and a Seeker. I talked to them already and they are willing to show you some basics."  
"That's great." Ash smiled.  
"As I am a Soother and Alana is a Pewterarm those two metals are covered as well."  
"And Kayla is a Tineye. She is already teaching me."  
"Perfect. The other metals you have to learn on your own. Although Rioting isn't much different from Soothing and Iron Pulling has similar rules like Steel Pushing."  
"I tested the metals through the trip already, though I haven't been able to train with atium."  
"I don't have any atium. It is mostly used as currency around Luthadel. And I never intended to make a contract with a Kandra."  
"Ally has a bead brought from Luthadel. But she held it back because it is so rare. It is a big advantage, Dox said."  
Brandon nodded. "There is something else I wanted to talk to you about." He met Ash's eyes. "As you are my son you inherit the title of House Leary."  
Ash frowned. "You mentioned it. But I always thought Ally is your heir."  
"As long as she was my only child I insisted her to be it. Although it is rather uncommon that a daughter inherits the title, it still was her birth right. But with you as my son you are heir to the title."  
"I am not even a nobleman."  
"By now you are Lord Ash Leary, heir to the house. I'll teach you some basics for a nobleman but I doubt that it really will be necessary with the current changes in the system. Anyway, it will be helpful if you have to negotiate with other noblemen. Oh, and you are released from your duty as a guard."  
"I am not used to handle such things. To be honest, I am not very eager to be the heir to the house. Isn't it possible that Ally stays the heir? Dockson is used to organize and negotiate and Ally already knows the rules. I'm fine with my job as guard."  
"As my heir you can't be just a simple guard. But you can take over the responsibility for the plantation and hospital security if you want to go on working with security."  
Ash smiled. "That sounds good. I know the people. I don't think they'll have a problem with me as their boss."  
"Even more since you returned as a Mistborn. And you know the Pewterarms from Luthadel."  
Ash nodded. "They are a good addition to the team."  
"Very well, then." Lord Brandon sighed. "We should discuss the heir topic with your sister. After all the old rules died with the Lord Ruler."  
Ash smiled relieved. He really wasn't interested in stealing the title from her. Nor was he interested in leading a plantation.

### » 27 «

   
When they arrived at Harris' workshop, the man polished a wheel. At the side Dockson could see another large wheel as well as two smaller ones. Harris looked up when they entered.  
"Ah, my favourite family." He smiled.  
Enya rushed to him and fell around his neck. He lifted her and pulled her close.  
"Don't let Ash hear that," Alana said and hugged him as well.  
"Why, that's my other favourite family." Harris grinned and winked at her.  
Alana chuckled and then shook her head, still smiling.  
Dockson clasped hands with Harris.  
"I see you make progress," Alana said.  
"The wheels are almost finished. The chair is over there. The fine-tuning will be the hard part."  
"We definitely need a hand brake that the chair doesn't roll away when Dox is switching out or into it. Then he doesn't need help with it."  
"And to stop it when I gain too much speed," Dockson added. "Additionally it would be good to have something like a handrail at the large wheels. My hands always get dirty."  
"Hum, a wheel at the wheel could work, just a little smaller that it doesn't graze the dirt," Harris suggested.  
Dockson nodded. "Sounds good." He considered an idea. "Can we add something to hold crutches?"  
"That is no problem. We can easily add that later when you start to walk again."  
"Good." He smiled.  
"I'll go to see Granny," Enya said and ran out of the workshop before anyone could object.  
"Granny?" Dockson asked.  
"Swefa."  
"Did she call her Granny before she knew that she is her great-grandmother?"  
Harris nodded. "Since Elya raised Ally like her daughter, Ally always called her Granny. Enya just copied it."  
Dockson scratches his beard. "I still have problems to understand that. I mean how big a coincidence is it that the _noblewoman_ I fall in love with _in Luthadel_ was raised by my own skaa family down here in South Searan?"  
"Perhaps your familiarity to Harris helped a bit," Alana said. "At least it helped _me_ to fall in love with you because I soon trusted you in a way I didn't even trust Ham." She smiled at him fondly.  
"Perhaps. Mare would just call it fate, I guess."  
She nodded. "I miss her. I miss all of them."  
Dockson sighed. "However, I am glad about that coincidence." He pulled her down to give her a kiss. Then he turned to the new wheeled chair again.  
They discussed some more possible upgrades until late afternoon.  
   
Enya had decided to stay overnight at the hovel because Makan had promised to tell stories that evening. So Alana and Dockson returned alone to the manor. The sun was not even near to setting when the first mist patches appeared. They could see how the skaa hurried back to the hovels, scared.  
"We will get problems if the mists stay longer and come earlier," Dockson said.  
"I am afraid the people will either be trapped on the fields one day or they don't want to go back to the fields in the afternoon," Alana replied.  
"You know there might be only one way."  
"What do you mean?"  
Dockson took a deep breath. "When Sazed returned to Luthadel, he told us something. On his way he had passed a village. The people there have been trapped in their hovels by the mists. He didn't tell any details, but you know how scared most skaa are. If they don't have another choice but to go out in the mists and they are attacked, they will be even more afraid. They rather die from starvation then. We know that the mist can kill, but we also know that it makes people Snap while others remain unharmed."  
Alana nodded. "The killings worry me. I have seen people die in Luthadel, skaa _and_ noblemen."  
"They need to go out in the mists at more or less controlled conditions."  
"Controlled conditions can't save them from death."  
"I know. But better than being trapped and die from starvation."  
"They wouldn't die from starvation," she disagreed. "We have enough people who could bring them food."  
"And what about the crops? Someone needs to care for the crops, to harvest. Without crops we can't provide them food."  
Alana bit her bottom lip. He was right.  
"Al, do you remember how quickly the mists appeared and how quickly they disappeared after we got hit?"  
She nodded.  
"Perhaps the mists are controlled by some force or they are that force themselves, I don't know. However, what I want to say is, what if the mists _try_ to make us Snap?"  
"You mean the mists _want_ more Allomancers? But for what?"  
"Didn't Ham say that Vin released something at the Well of Ascension?"  
She nodded. "Something she thinks is evil."  
"Yes, but someone or something must have trapped it there first. What if the mists work with it, against the thing Vin released? What if we will need those Allomancers to fight it?"  
Alana frowned. "I can't force them to go out in the mists."  
"Tell them what we found out and let them decide."  
"I can't, Dox. Despite my relationship to some of them, after all _I_ _am_ a noblewoman, the daughter of their master. They might be intimidated by that fact." She shook her head. "But you can. You are one of them."  
"They are my family," he said quietly.  
They fell silent. Suddenly Dockson got trapped with one of his wheels. Alana had to untangle him.  
"And my stupid legs don't help," he ranted in a sudden outburst.  
Alana swallowed. All the current problems worried her more than she told him. She worried for the people on her plantation and she worried for him. Still there was no real progress with his legs. What if he was right with his fear? What if he really would never be able to walk again? She feared that as well, although she would love him no less. But she was afraid that it would kill him slowly but steadily. And she wanted to dance with him. Since she had trained with him back then with Mare and Kelsier for the Hammerset scam, she had dreamed of dancing with him at a real ball.  
Silently they moved on along the road to the manor. Mists flowed around them more and more and obscured the surroundings. Suddenly Dockson stopped.  
Alana turned and looked at him, confused. "Something wrong."  
"You walk through the mists as if they don't exist."  
"What do you mean?"  
"How do you know where you have to go to? I can't even see the road anymore."  
Alana smiled. "Remember, I have been out in the mists almost every night when I was a child. I know every stone between the manor and those hovels." Her smile deepened as she remembered something. "Do you remember the night we were in The Twists, the night we met the Inquisitor?"  
He grimaced but nodded.  
"I thought that you walked these streets as other people do during the day."  
"Because I know the streets there at night."  
She cocked her head.  
"Ah, I got it." He smiled and moved on.  
"Shall I push you around?" She smiled benignly.  
He rolled his eyes. "No. But you could be so nice to show me the way."  
Alana shrugged and walked ahead. A couple minutes later Dockson got trapped again, but this time a cracking sound went along with it. The wheel was cracked.  
Dockson closed his eyes, annoyed. "That much about freedom."  
"Harris can repair that," she replied.  
He just grumbled.  
"I guess I have to carry you home now."  
That comment made him grumble even more. "You will not lift me and carry me home in your arms."  
Alana frowned. "Why not?"  
"It is embarrassing!"  
She rolled her eyes. "It is the only way. Okay, besides throwing you over my shoulder again."  
He looked at her confused. "That's the way you carried me out of Keep Venture?"  
She nodded.  
"I hope no one has seen that."  
She smiled. "Given that I used the passageways I doubt that."  
He perked up. "Passageways? What passageways?"  
"The passageways of Keep Venture."  
Dockson grabbed her arm. "There are passageways at Keep Venture?"  
"Yes." She nodded. "How did you think I could sneak out every couple nights?"  
"I thought you only did that from Mansion Foglio."  
"No. That would have been suspicious. No one expected me to be able to get out of Keep Venture at night without a guard seeing me."  
"Why haven't you told me before?"  
"I . . ." she trailed off. "It is a family secret," she said quietly.  
"Then you have told Elend?"  
She shook her head and looked away.  
He sighed. "Come on, let's go home. I'll lean on your shoulders."  
Alana freed his legs from the chair. Then he helped him to his feet. He laid his arm around her shoulder and she grabbed the hand, then she put her arm around his waist. She pulled him up that his feet wouldn't brush the ground.  
"Wait," Dockson suddenly said. "Set me back to the ground."  
She frowned but did as requested. She could see how he concentrated. Suddenly his weight disappeared from her shoulders. She wanted to grab him but realized that he stood on his feet. He looked at her, grinning broadly.  
"You can stand," she said astonished.  
His legs started to shake and she felt his weight back on her shoulders when he leaned on her again. But still he grinned.  
"That is good, isn't it? It is a good sign?"  
Alana nodded. "Yes, it is." She smiled deeply. "However, can I carry you in my arms at least to the manor? It is rather uncomfortable to do it this way, even with pewter."  
He grumbled, but finally agreed.  
   


### » 28 «

   
The wedding ceremony was a mixture of nobility and skaa traditions. Elyria's whole family was present as well as some friends of Lord Brandon and his family. Brandon had ordered seamstresses and dressmakers to equip the skaa with noble clothing for the wedding, even Kayla had helped.  
While some of the skaa stood with pride in their suits and dresses, others obviously were out of their element. Most were simple plantation skaa, only a few worked at the manor or the hospital. They weren't used to attend a festivity at a manor as guests.  
After the formal part of the ceremony servants provided the guests with snacks and chilled juice and wine. Dockson accepted a cup of wine and sipped it while watching the people. The setting reminded him of one of the smaller balls he had attended during his time as a thief. There even was a dance floor. Only a few couples were dancing, all of them nobility beside the bridal pair.  
Dockson smiled as he watched his aunt dancing in a brilliant yellow and white gown. Alana had trained with her every day during the last two weeks. She didn't have the grace of a noblewoman but neither was she humble.  
The sight gave him a stab anyway. How much did he wish to dance there with his beloved wife? But his legs still disobeyed him. Fortunately there had been the improvement three weeks ago. He had trained hard since but he felt like he had lost all his leg muscles during the last months. Therefrom the progress was very slowly. And it hadn't helped that Kayla and Alana had been occupied with the preparations for the wedding.  
He let his gaze wander over the guests. By now he had met all members of his family. He had several cousins and thereby lots of second cousins. The kids had gathered in one corner of the hall, chatting and playing. His daughter Enya was with them as well as Dellin. Enya wore a beautiful green gown. Dockson smiled deeply.  
Alana and his cousin Ash stood together. They watched the bridal pair on the dance floor, smiling. He studied them for a moment. Although they were brother and sister, they didn't have much in common. Ash had most of his features from Elyria, the pointed face, the brown eyes, even the brown colour of his hair. Just his height was definitely from his father. Alana wasn't small, but Ash still towered over her by a full foot. Dockson had seen a drawn picture of Lady Fiora and realized that Alana was a spitting image of her mother with her round face and slightly curled dark hair. Only her blue eyes she had from her father and her height, certainly.  
Ash leaned down to Alana, telling her something. She nodded and he left her. He headed toward the exit. Alana looked around and finally met Dockson's eyes. She smiled and approached him. He smiled back. She wore a turquoise ball gown with white applications. It was low-necked and provided a nice décolleté sight.  
"Hey," she said and leaned down to give him a kiss.  
"I thought it's improper for nobility to kiss in public."  
"It wasn't kissing. It was a peck, merely. And you are my husband after all."  
He chuckled. "Where did Ash go to?" he asked eventually.  
"Looking after Kayla. She didn't feel well and left earlier." Alana sat down next to him and looked at the dance floor. "They are a beautiful couple, aren't they?" She smiled fondly.  
"She complained about the gown." He grinned.  
"She looks beautiful in it."  
Dockson nodded. "However, now she is your mother officially and you don't have to hide your feelings for her anymore."  
She smiled. "Ten years ago I thought how terrible this world is with all its restrictions and its hatred for the skaa, and now everything has changed. My father married my Moomy, I married you, and Ash is my brother by blood and heir to the house. All these things wouldn't be possible if you hadn't toppled the Lord Ruler." She turned to him. "Thank you, Dox."  
"Don't thank me. It was Kell's job. And Vin killed the Lord Ruler."  
"That might be, but it hadn't been possible without your help. Vin might have done the killing and Kell might have been the hero who raised the revolution, but you paved the way for them."  
Dockson looked at her and didn't know what to say. She hadn't been there but still she honoured his work more than even the old crew. He had been the one who had organised the supplies for the army. He had bought the mansion for Renoux in Kelsier's name and the weapons, Kelsier had stocked in the warehouses. He had bargained with the bandits around Luthadel. And he had done the daily proceedings with the obligators.  
Kelsier always had been the only one who had honoured his work. _No, that's not true. She did it back then too, even before we were a couple. She said that Kell would be bankrupt within weeks without my help._ The memory made him smile.  
"Do you think you'll get problems if I kiss you right here? I mean, _really_ kiss you?" he asked.  
She smiled at him. "I am sure they will survive it. After all, they are used that I cause scandals." She chuckled.  
He leaned over and gave her a long and tender kiss. She had her eyes closed when he pulled away. Slowly she opened them again.  
"What did I do to deserve that?" she asked smiling.  
"You gave me my life back."  
Her smile deepened. "I love you too."  
   
Alana watched the present nobility. They were mostly members of the staff of the hospital with their families. None of them seemed to be aghast or even outraged about her father's marriage to a skaa woman, although she officially was a member of House Cowell by now and thereby a noblewoman. However, the guests all knew about her origin. Still they didn't mind.  
None of the invited guests had refused to come. But actually, she hadn't expected that. Those men and women worked for her father because they cared for people and at least respected the skaa as living beings. Only one guest was missing. Alana sighed.  
She had invited Esten to the wedding, but he wasn't here. He hadn't even given notice. She didn't know what to make of this behaviour. Ash hadn't had the impression that he was angry at her for marrying Dockson. And she was sure that he had gotten the invitation because the messenger had insisted to deliver the message personally, by her order. Given that the messenger knew Esten, no one else could have masqueraded as him. She would have to talk to the messenger again, if he had noticed something in Esten's behaviour that might suggest a reason.  
Suddenly Alana felt a hand on hers. She turned her head and met Dockson's eyes. He looked at her, questioningly. She smiled at him, but decided not to tell him what she thought about. Always when she had talked about Esten she had seen a strange glance in his eyes. She guessed that he was jealous, although there was no reason and he knew that.  
"I am a bit worried about Kayla," she said instead. "I will have a look at her."  
"Don't you think Ash would tell you if something is wrong?"  
She considered that. Eventually she shook her head. "She wouldn't tell _him_ , I am afraid. She doesn't want to spoil the party. Do you think you will survive a couple minutes without me?"  
"Barely. You know how hard it is to take the drug away a person is addicted to."  
She gave him a wide smile. "I guess that is the nicest someone has ever said to me."  
"I hope not. It wasn't one of my best chat-up lines." His eyes twinkled from joy.  
Alana laughed and gave him a peck. "I promise to come back as soon as possible, if Kay is okay." She stood and hurried toward the exit.  



	7. Chapter 3 - Part 1

## Chapter III

### » 29 «

   
Silently they sat around the table processing the information they had gotten from Alana and Dockson. Ash was thankfully that they had waited until after the wedding. Else they wouldn't have been able to enjoy the festivity.  
"How big is the risk to die from it?" Lord Brandon finally asked.  
"We don't know," Alana replied. "We had one dead boy when we got hit by the mists on our way home. But he was sick already. I don't know if it was coincidence or cause. The people in Luthadel I found dead I didn't know. There were no obvious signs of a sickness but I can't tell for sure."  
"Let us assume that this is the reason," Brandon said. "We could send out only the healthy ones. We can check them first and let them out only when they are healthy."  
Alana nodded. Kayla and Ash agreed as well. Only Dockson was sceptical and Elyria kept quiet.  
"The positive side effect is that the mists make people Snap. That means we will probably have several Mistings afterwards," Alana said.  
Brandon nodded. "Perhaps even Mistborn."  
"Not from the plantation skaa," Dockson replied. "Unless you or your brother have sired more children."  
"I haven't," Brandon said firmly. "And Benten loves Ortwin, how strange it might seem."  
"The love for your wife didn't stop you from sleeping with Elyria," Alana noted quietly.  
Brandon flushed and looked down.  
"I don't think it will help on to follow that argument," Dockson said, although he had been the one who had started it. "We will see if there will be any more Mistborn. Anyway, the chance is very low."  
"There is one thing I don't understand," Kayla wondered. "How can there be any Allomancers? I mean, the kids from our group are all children of skaa Mistings, of skaa who have noble blood in their ancestry. But usually plantation skaa don't have any noble blood. Dockson is a plantation skaa and he didn't Snap." She looked at them. "How can plantation skaa become Allomancers then?"  
"Jenno doesn't have noble ancestry," Alana said.  
"At least he doesn't know of it," Dockson disagreed. "That is not exactly information one shows off. However, Kayla is right. To become a Misting you need to be a descendant of the men who helped the Lord Ruler a thousand years ago."  
"What if a landlord liked to sleep with skaa women but didn't kill them afterwards?" Ash voiced his thoughts.  
"Highly unlikely," Dockson replied.  
"Why? My father didn't kill my mother. If the Lord Ruler hadn't died, my children would be simple plantation skaa."  
Brandon nodded. "He is right. And I know a nobleman who likes to sleep with all kind of women, no matter if noble or skaa. But he isn't the kind of man who kills skaa."  
"You mean Lord Libbert?" Alana looked at him questioningly.  
"Err, yes."  
"He is a skirt chaser," she nodded. "But you are right. He is not a man who kills."  
They fell silent again. Ash watched his mother. She sat beside her husband, quietly. She had been the only one at the table who hadn't spoken yet.  
"What do you think, Mom?" he asked.  
She met his eyes. "I don't know. I'm not sure if they will go out in the mists. I know that _I_ will be terribly afraid."  
"Then don't go out. I'd prefer that, anyway." Brandon laid his arm around her.  
"I agree," Alana said.  
"You can't ask the others to go out and on the other hand keep me save, just because you are afraid I could die." Elyria shook her head. "How can you expect them to overcome their fear, to risk their lives while at the same time you are afraid to lose the people you love and keep them inside?"  
"She is right." Dockson looked at them. "We would have to set a good example."  
Ash could see how Alana paled. His father pulled Elyria close.  
 _They are terribly afraid. Why am I so unconcerned about it? Because I'm Mistborn?_ Ash wondered. "Good example means our family has to go out first," he said.  
The group fell silent once more. Ash could see in their faces what they thought. It not only meant to send out the adults, it meant the children as well. They were afraid. But if Dockson was right about the possibility that the mists could stay the whole day for weeks, they had to do something.  
"It won't be our decision, anyway. It is _their_ decision," he said. He looked at his mother who nodded.  
"I will talk to Harris and our parents about it." She stood.  
Kayla looked at Ash, pleading. He pulled her tight. "It has to be done," he said quietly. "I'm sure they will be fine. Dellin even has a good chance to be a Misting with you being Tineye and me Mistborn."  
"But what if . . ." Her voice trembled.  
"We can't protect them forever."  
She hid her face at his shoulder.  
His eyes met those of Alana. He could see her fear. They had never been afraid of the mists. They rather had felt protected. Within the mists had been no restrictions. Within the mists had been no difference between them. They didn't have to be careful who was watching them. They had just been kids, no matter if nobility or skaa. Every night when they had gone out in the mists, the skaa community had been afraid and he and Alana had laughed about it. And now they worried about their own children.  
 _What if . . .?_  
   


### » 30 «

   
It was late afternoon and soon the mists would appear. Gizer hobbled into the manor. He looked from face to face, met everyone's eyes. All were assembled, Dockson's entire family including Harris' children and grandchildren. Tiya stood with them as well as Enya and Dellin, who held hands.  
Gizer nodded at Dockson. "We are ready."  
The group moved out into the courtyard and they waited.  
Alana tried to stay calm but she was afraid, terribly afraid. She fought back tears. Dockson took her hand. She looked down at him. He smiled at her reassuring but he couldn't hide his own fear. This weren't just any people. Those people were his family. A family he hadn't known until a couple weeks ago but he already had grown attached to.  
The first mist patches appeared in the air. Alana closed her eyes and her grip tightened. She felt Dockson's sweaty hand in hers, his thumb caressing the back of her hand. She winced as the screaming started and opened her eyes again. She saw Tiya going to the ground, shaking. Kayla yelped and hurried over to her immediately. More people got wrapped in mists, most stood unmolested and some started to shake.  
Alana's eyes searched for Enya. The girl was still standing with Dellin, both not within mist yet. Enya looked at her mother. She was terribly afraid. And suddenly it was there. Mist reached out for her and enwrapped her but she didn't move. Dellin started to scream, but the scream stopped abruptly. Shivering he slumped down. Shocked Enya stared at him, for a moment unable to move. Finally she knelt down next to him and embraced him. Alana rushed over.  
"Mommy, do something," the girl pleaded.  
"Hold him tight. Let him feel that you are with him."  
"Can't _you_ do something?"  
Alana checked him. The boy was alive, fortunately. Then she shook her head. "The only one who can help him now is you. But he will be fine soon again."  
Enya nodded and embraced her friend.  
"You are okay?" Alana asked her.  
The girl nodded again.  
Alana was relieved. She looked up and tried to see something in the mists. But her sight ended about ten feet around her. Elyria approached her. She seemed to be fine.  
"Go, look after the others. I'll stay with them," she said.  
Alana nodded and stood. Then she hurried for the shadows in the mists. The first she found were Gizer and Swefa. Both were unharmed, fortunately. She had worried about the elders. The next couple was a daughter of Harris and her husband. Kara lay on the ground in a seizure. Her husband held her. He looked up with pleading eyes. Alana made s short check-up, but it seemed that Kara would be fine.  
She went on and found a person on the ground without any movement. She rushed over and turned the man around. It was Harris. "No!" she gasped. She checked him. There was no life sign. "No, Harris. Come on. Give me something. Please!" she whispered, close to panic. "You can't do that to me, please!" She checked him again, but there was nothing. He was dead.  
Alana embraced the lifeless body of her old fatherly friend, rocking back and forth. Tears ran down her face. Her heart felt like being ripped apart. She yowled. "Why? Why you? Why has it to be you? Why do people have to die? Why?" she whined.  
"Alana?"  
She looked up, recognizing her father through a haze of tears. Still she rocked to and fro. "Why? Why?" she asked, her voice breaking. "Why him? He was healthy!"  
"I don't know, dear." He tried to break her out of the embrace but she didn't want to let Harris go. "Come on, Alana. Let him go."  
She shook her head. "No. He can't be dead. He must not be dead. He promised me a desk for Dox, one he can use with his wheeled chair now and later with a normal chair. He can't just walk off. He is not finished here," she demanded angry, tears flowing down her face. "Why do the people I love have to die?" She yowled again.  
Her father didn't reply. He simply embraced her while she still was holding Harris. She rested her head at her father's shoulder, moaning badly. She felt his touch on her emotions and the pain dampened a bit, but he left her enough to still feel the deep loss of her friend. She didn't complain.  
   
Dockson looked around. He couldn't see much since he was no Tineye. But he could hear the moaning of hit people in the mists. He approached Enya who still sat on the ground with Dellin. Elyria was with them.  
Enya looked at him. Dellin was quiet, but still shivering slightly. He leaned his head against her shoulder, breathing heavily, his eyes closed.  
"You're okay?" Dockson asked his daughter.  
She nodded.  
He smiled at her relieved. He had seen that she was okay before when Alana had rushed over to them, but still he had worried. They didn't know if the effect was strictly happening immediately.  
"How is Dell?"  
"He is okay," Elyria said in her stead.  
He nodded at her. "He will feel sick for a while, but he'll be fine." He patted Enya's shoulder.  
Then Dockson wheeled on through the mists. He found Kayla and Ash. Ash lifted Tiya.  
"Dellin was hit, too," Dockson said. "But he is okay."  
Kayla's eyes widened with shock. "Where is he?"  
"With Enya and Elyria. They are over there." He pointed into the direction he came from.  
Kayla immediately ran over.  
Dockson moved on and checked his family. Most were okay, some shaken but no one dead as far as he could see now. But then he heard it, the moaning. Not the moaning of someone hit by the mist but that of someone grieving. He felt his stomach twist. A moment later he could see them appear in the mists, two people on the ground holding a third. Suddenly he realized who they were, Alana and her father. And the man they held was Harris.  
Dockson stopped, inhaling sharply. _Harris! Why of all people Harris_? He closed his eyes. Harris was the one of his family he had felt closest to and not just because they looked a lot alike. They had much in common and he liked to ponder with him about the new wheeled chair, to spin ideas and to realize them. They had complemented each other.  
An outcry let him turn his head. Elyria stood next to him and she buried her face in her hands. Lord Brandon looked up and Dockson could see the urge in his face. He wanted to hold her. But still he held Alana in his arms.  
Dockson wheeled over and set his feet to the ground. Slowly he sank out of the chair and finally sat down beside Alana. He nodded at Brandon who let her go and hurried over to care for his own wife.  
Alana put Harris to the ground, carefully, but still resting his head in her lap. Then she wrapped her arms around Dockson, crying terribly. He felt his own tears running down his face.  
"Why him? Why had it to be him? Why always the people I love? Is it me?" she asked, crying.  
"No, it isn't your fault, love. Don't even think that. It is not your fault. Not at all."  
"But why then? First Markes, then Ronan and now Harris," she sobbed. "He was healthy. He shouldn't have died. There is still so much to do for him. He can't just be dead."  
Dockson held her tight. "I don't know." He hid his face in her hair. "I don't know," he repeated.  
   


### » 31 «

   
Dockson leaned on the crutches. Alana was always close to him to hold him in case that he lost his balance. Carefully he moved one foot forward. The other foot followed. It worked. He barely suppressed a cheering. Slowly he moved on and walked with the crutches along the hallway, step by step. With each step he gained more confidence. Finally he reached the door at the end and turned. For a moment he lost his balance but was able to regain it himself. He walked back the hallway, Alana at his side.  
He looked up, grinning broadly, relieved from an extremely heavy burden. Now he was certain that he would be able to walk again freely, finally. Alana returned his grin with a deep smile. It made his heart leap. Since the events three weeks ago she had rarely smiled. Harris' death had hit her pretty hard. She had withdrawn into herself and even he had had problems to get through to her. His resemblance to Harris had made it harder. Always when she had looked at him he had seen her grief deepening. It gave him a hint of what she must have felt after she had returned from Luthadel back then, Harris reminding her of him.  
Still Dockson could see the sorrow in her eyes. After Harris' death she had worked hard with him, concentrating on him completely. Perhaps it had been her way to get over the pain. It reminded him of himself after Kelsier's death, focussed on keeping the kingdom running.  
He had been able to do a few steps with her help within a couple days and today was the first time he walked alone with the crutches. And it worked. Still he was easily exhausted but he now would be able to leave the wheeled chair for a while, to go to the bathroom for instance. That feeling of independence, of freedom made him thoroughly happy. And to see her smile made him even happier.  
"That's awesome, Dox."  
Dockson turned his head and spotted Kayla. He grinned at her in reply. He wanted to walk the hallway another time but he felt his strength fading. So instead he walked to the wheeled chair and sat down. He fastened the crutches to the chair. Fortunately Harris had finished the holder before his death.  
"You are getting better and better," Kayla said. "If you continue like this you will be able to walk without help within a few more weeks." She smiled deeply.  
"I hope so. I've promised someone a dance." He looked at Alana.  
She still smiled but it lacked mirth now. He could see her deep sorrow again. "One step at a time, literally," she said, leaning down to give him a kiss.  
"Can I give you a ride?" he asked, trying to tease the mirth out again.  
"Not now." She shook her head. "I have my health check with Kay now."  
"May I watch?" He grinned.  
"That you'd like, certainly." Kayla chuckled.  
"Does that mean I can?"  
Alana rolled her eyes and leaned down again. She gave him another kiss. "No!" she said afterwards.  
"Killjoy!" he muttered, but his eyes twinkled.  
She shrugged but smiled and he could see a hint of mirth in it. Sighing he watch the women walk away.  
   
"He really is getting much better," Kayla said while Alana examined her in the examination room of the manor.  
Alana nodded. "He has worked hard the last weeks. He wants to walk again, to be independent. He hates it to be restricted."  
"I can understand that."  
Suddenly a surprised expression appeared on Alana's face.  
"What's wrong?" Kayla asked.  
"I am not sure," she replied. She did some more tests and smiled deeply, finally. "Okay, now I am sure." She met Kayla's eyes. "You are pregnant, Kay."  
Kayla's eyes widened. "You're kidding?"  
"Not at all."  
Happiness crept over Kayla. She hugged her friend. "Oh, I can't wait to tell Ash."  
"He will be happy."  
"Oh yes. He is such a great father." Kayla wanted to hug the whole world. They would have another child. That was so great. She was thoroughly happy.  
Alana nodded, a sad expression flickering over her face. Suddenly Kayla remembered that she and Dockson tried to get another child since months, already in Luthadel. For a noblewoman it was harder to get pregnant. Kayla knew that skaa women were much more fertile than noblewomen.  
"Hey, don't give up. You will have another child, too."  
"I hope so." Alana sighed. "However, my turn."  
She undressed and Kayla began the examination. Everything was fine with her friend. Suddenly she paused. Apparently Alana had missed it. She was lost in her thoughts. Could it really be? Kayla did some more tests to be sure. Finally she was and started to grin.  
"Ally?"  
"Hum?"  
"You are pretty healthy. But anyway, you should eat more vegetables the next time. And no wine for you for dinner."  
Alana frowned. "Excuse me? You just said I am fine."  
"Yes, you are. But pregnant women shouldn't drink alcohol."  
Alana's jaw dropped. She formed 'pregnant women' with her lips. Kayla just nodded and grinned broadly.  
"You really mean that? I am pregnant?"  
Kayla nodded. "That means we both are. It's kind of ridiculous though, but I definitely like it."  
"That is . . ." Alana didn't finish. She embraced her in a big hug. "I am getting a baby. I have to tell Dox!" She jumped off the table and was about to just ran out of the room.  
"Whoa! Wait! You should get dressed first. Or do you want to cause a heart attack to the servants?"  
Alana flushed deeply. She got dressed and dashed out of the door.  
Kayla laughed and left as well to find her own husband.  
   
Dockson sat in Brandon's study and read a book about crops, scribbling notes about his findings in a notebook. Since there was the possibility that the daily sunlight would be quite rare in the coming years he had decided to look for usable winter crops as alternative for the common summer crops. Winter crops didn't need much sunlight but they were used to cold weather. When the sun was out it was normally hot during the summer months. So he had to look for some that could survive hot temperatures as well.  
His crutches leaned next to him at the desk and he sat in Brandon's study chair. It had felt good to walk over and sat in it without the help of others. His wheeled chair stood at the side.  
Suddenly Alana burst into the room. "Dox!"  
"What the hell?" he asked startled.  
She fell around his neck.  
Instinctively he embraced her. "What did I miss?" he asked confused.  
"I am pregnant," she just said.  
It took a moment until the meaning trickled through. "What?" He pushed her away and she met his eyes. "Repeat that, please."  
She gave him a big smile. "I am pregnant."  
"You mean we are getting a baby?"  
She nodded.  
He felt his heart leap and he started to grin. He would be father again and this time from the beginning. He would have a baby he could cuddle and carry around. Dockson looked into Alana's eyes and saw the twinkling of joy and happiness what made him feel even more fantastic.  
He pulled her onto his lap. She caressed his face, running her fingers over his half beard. Eventually she took his face into both hands and kissed him tenderly. He felt her lips on his and enjoyed the wonderful moment of deep love.  
Finally she snuggled up to him and he embraced her tight.  
"I love you so much," she whispered.  
"I love you too, Al."  
Suddenly she chuckled.  
"What?" he asked. "What's so funny?"  
"When Kay told me I couldn't wait to tell you." She grinned. "I almost ran off without my dress."  
"You mean you would have burst in here naked?" That thought made him grin.  
She nodded. "I guess I would have caused another scandal. Try to picture Lady Ortwin's face if she would have seen me."  
That thought killed off any erotic pictures he had in mind. He burst into laughing. "She would have gotten a heart attack."  
After a while of more cuddling Alana pulled back and looked at the desk. She fetched the book he read and looked at the title. After that she glanced at his notes. "What are you doing?" she asked.  
"Research. I try to find better crops for the fields. If we have less sunlight we will need crops that can endure that."  
She smiled and turned back to him. "I see you already do what you can best."  
Dockson looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"  
"You care for your crew." She gave him a kiss. "And this time _you_ are the crew leader."  
"Actually, I'm not. Your father is."  
Alana shook her head. "He doesn't have a clue about crops."  
"He owns a plantation."  
"Yes, but he is a healer. He lets the elders make the decisions about the plantation."  
"You're kidding?"  
"Nope." She smiled. "But you are a plantation skaa. You know these things and . . ." She gave him another kiss. "You are an organizational genius. If someone finds a way to protect us from starvation it is you." She smiled. "This time you have only your crew to care about."  
"Still a couple hundred people on the plantation."  
"Didn't Ham say that you cared for a couple thousand skaa soldiers during the last job you did for Kelsier?"  
Dockson snorted. "True."  
"And you managed that very well, I am sure."  
He smiled. "Guess I did." But eventually he shook his head. "I should ask your father if he gives me plenty of rope, anyway."  
"That is not necessary. I already talked to him and to Ash, since he now officially is the heir to the house. Both see you as the one who can lead the plantation best. My father is glad when he can concentrate on the hospital, and Ash prefers to care for security only."  
"You already talked to them?" He raised his eyebrows.  
Alana nodded. "I hope you don't mind." She bit her lip uncertain.  
He smiled. "I don't."  
She smiled as well, obviously relieved. Suddenly she grinned. "I have more news to tell."  
"More _good_ news I hope."  
Alana nodded. "Kayla is pregnant too."  
Dockson's eyes went big. "Same timeframe as you are?"  
"Perhaps. It is hard to tell in such an early state. We could be anywhere within two to four months."  
"Good that we already had the wedding ceremony." He grinned. "Soon you won't fit into a gown anymore."  
Alana jabbed him in his ribs. "Just you wait until the end. You will be able to roll me around so fat will I be."  
Dockson smiled and pulled her tight. "I don't mind. More Ally to cuddle," he said with twinkling eyes.  
Alana just laughed.  
A knocking let them look up.  
Elyria poked her head into the room. "Oh, sorry," she said. "I didn't want to disturb you."  
"You don't." Alana climbed off his lap and hurried to his aunt. She hugged her exuberant.  
Elyria looked at her confused when she let her go again. "What did I miss?"  
"I am pregnant!"  
"Oh love, that's great!" Now Elyria hugged Alana. Afterwards she turned to Dockson. "Congratulation, nephew." She smiled at him deeply.  
"Thank you." He returned her smile.  
"And Dox walked alone today, for the first time."  
"With crutches?"  
Alana nodded.  
"That is wonderful."  
"There are more wonderful news but I leave that to someone else." She grinned.  
Elyria frowned.  
"Don't worry. I am sure you will find out soon."  
Dockson chuckled. "However, what can we do for you?"  
"I would like to abduct your wife if you don't mind."  
"Actually, I do." He smiled. "But on the other hand I need to go on with my work. So, feel free."  
Alana stood with her hands on her hips. "So easily I get replaced by his work." She sighed stagy.  
Dockson smiled and beckoned her over with his finger. She pouted a moment but then approached him. When she was close enough he grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace, kissing her tenderly.  
"And you think I will forgive you so easily?" she asked afterwards.  
"Yes."  
She rolled her eyes and gave him another kiss, smiling.  
   
Alana followed Elyria outside. "So what can I do for you, Moomy?"  
"I don't feel well since a couple days. Could you do a check, please?"  
Alana frowned. "Why don't you ask my father?"  
"Brandon would be worried. You know how he is."  
Alana chuckled. "Yes, I do. Very well then, I will do a check-up."  
For the second time that day Alana entered the examination room. It made her smile. She would love to tell Elyria herself but it was Ash's job. He would be disappointed if she ruined the surprise.  
"What problems exactly do you have?" she asked.  
"I feel sick from time to time. It's not always just when I turn too fast or get up too fast."  
"Sounds like a circulation problem. Anything else?"  
Elyria shook her head.  
Alana checked all typical triggers for circulation problems but couldn't find anything. She frowned. "Have you eaten regularly?" she asked.  
"Actually, no," Elyria replied quietly. "I didn't have much appetite lately." She looked away.  
 _Harris!_ Alana felt a stab when she remembered his death. He had been her Moomy's brother and they always had been close. _If I feel terrible about his death, how awful must it be for her?_  
"You should eat," she said softly. "I know it is hard but he wouldn't want you to get sick. He would even force you to eat if necessary." Alana tried to smile reassuring, but she failed. The pain was too hard for her. She had forgotten his death for a while due to her pregnancy. It had overlaid the pain but it hadn't made it go away.  
"I know." Elyria sighed. "It doesn't make it easier."  
Alana nodded. "However, eat. Or do I have to inform my father about it?"  
"Perish the thought!" Elyria raised her hand. "I'll eat."  
"Good. I will check you in a couple days again if it doesn't get better."  
   


### » 32 «

   
The hospital was a large two story building surrounded by an even larger park that spread down to the lake's shore. It lay to the northwest, almost two hours by carriage away from the manor. Fortunately the road was permanently supported since Lord Brandon and other people from the manor used it almost every day. Accordingly the skaa of the plantation took care of it.  
Winslow helped Dockson out of the carriage. On his crutches he walked to the wheeled chair and sat down.  
"Shall I accompany you or wait?" Winslow asked.  
"Wait here for me. I doubt it will take long."  
Winslow nodded and cared for the horses.  
Dockson wheeled over to the main entrance of the hospital. Fortunately it was even with the ground and no stairs hindered him. He nodded to the guards and entered the building. A desk was positioned across from the entrance and Dockson approached it. He nodded to the man sitting there.  
"Where can I find Lord Leary?" he asked.  
The man studied him for a moment. "May I first ask who you are?"  
"I apologize," Dockson said. "I am Lord Cowell, Lord Leary's son-in-law."  
The man's eyes widened and he immediately stood. "I have to apologize, Lord Cowell. Welcome at the Leary hospital." He bowed to him. "I am at your command."  
He doubted that the man could simply leave his place since he was the only person around beside the guards. "Just tell me where I can find Lord Leary."  
"He is doing his afternoon ward round, down that corridor and then to the right." He pointed down the hallway. "Please, ask the nurses there where he is exactly, my lord."  
Dockson nodded thankful. He followed the long corridor and turned to the right at its end. A wide hall opened in front of him. Its outer wall was made almost entirely from glass. Sunlight sparkled through the filigree glass shards of the floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows. Patients were lounging on cushioned benches, chatting.  
"Can I help you?" a woman asked. She wore a simple dress with a Tarok leaf stitched on its front. Dockson knew the form of the leaf very well given that Alana wore a crystalline version around her neck. The leaf meant the woman was a member of the staff.  
"I am Lord Cowell," he introduced himself. "I am looking for Lord Leary."  
"Lord Cowell, it's a pleasure to meet you." The woman curtsied. "I'm Marielle, one of the nurses. Please, follow me, my lord."  
Given that she had introduced herself with a given name only, no title, Dockson guessed that she was skaa. "You know who I am?" he asked while he followed her along another corridor.  
"Of course I do. You are Lady Alana's husband." She smiled at him.  
He could see a question in her face but apparently she didn't dare to ask. "Ask," he said.  
"Excuse me?"  
"I can see that something is bothering you."  
"I don't want to be rude, my lord."  
"Just ask."  
"Is it true that you are born skaa?"  
He nodded. "Yes, I am."  
"And Lady Enya is your daughter?"  
"Yes."  
"That would mean that Lady Alana and you---" She paused. "During the reign of the Lord Ruler it was forbidden to the nobility to have a relationship with a skaa."  
"Restrictions don't prevent from falling in love." He smiled.  
Marielle returned that smile. Then she turned to one of the rooms along the corridor. "I'll be back in a minute. Please, wait here, my lord."  
Dockson peeked into the room when she entered it. He could see Lord Brandon with a patient who lay in a bed.  
Marielle returned a moment later. "Lord Brandon needs a while. He asked me to show you his office where you can wait for him."  
Dockson nodded.  
The woman suddenly paused. "The office is upstairs."  
"That shouldn't be a problem." He pointed at the crutches. "I can walk, just not as much as I'd like yet."  
"Good." She smiled.  
They followed the corridor to its end where stairs led to the upper floor. Dockson climbed out of the wheeled chair and grabbed his crutches. The nurse put the chair to the side, then he leaned on her and together they went upstairs. It worked better than he had expected. He wasn't exhausted when he reached the upper floor. It gratified him. His legs were getting better with every day. Perhaps he could soon abandon the wheeled chair completely. He followed Marielle to Brandon's office where she left him alone. Dockson seated himself into a chair and waited.  
After ten minutes waiting Dockson stood and walked over to the book shelf. He used only one crutch, resting on it. His gaze went over the book titles. There were lots of books about different diseases but also books about anatomy. He picked one, laid it on the table next to him and skimmed through the pages, studying the drawn pictures.  
"As man it always pays to know the female anatomy," a voice said.  
Dockson turned and looked into the grinning face of Lord Brandon. He smiled about the comment and nodded. "Indeed."  
"I see you already decided to use only one crutch."  
"It's better to have one free hand," Dockson replied.  
"Then you can switch to a cane."  
Dockson grimaced. "I never liked canes."  
"Sometimes you have no choice. And dueling canes have their amenity." Brandon seated himself. "However, what couldn't wait until I return home?"  
"Actually, it could wait but I wanted to see your hospital. After all it is a place where Alana used to spend lots of her time."  
"Yes, and I really miss her here."  
"Why doesn't she work here anymore then?" Dockson sat down again.  
"You have to ask her. Since her return she never came to the hospital. I guess you are her patient number one." He shrugged.  
"I didn't realize that. I'll talk to her about it." Dockson cleared his throat. "However, I wanted to talk to you about the plantation, about the current crops to be precise."  
Brandon raised his eyebrows. "Honestly, I am not the right person to talk to about crops. I am not well schooled in that."  
"Ally told me."  
The man leaned forward. "I don't know if Alana has mentioned that as well but I would prefer if _you_ take over the plantation work. You have more knowledge about it, because you are a plantation skaa."  
"I was born as plantation skaa, yes. But I barely worked as one."  
"Anyway, you know much more about these things. You are an organizer, I am just a healer. I'm glad when I can keep the things at the hospital straight." He chuckled. "Ash also is not interested in leading the plantation." He paused and exhaled slowly. "I have thought about it the last days. I guess it will be the best if I sign the plantation over to Alana and thereby to your house. That means you can do whatever you think is best for it."  
Dockson nodded and smiled. He liked the idea. "I agree."  
The men shook hands.  
   


### » 33 «

   
Alana checked her Moomy in the examination room. She didn't like the results because there were no results. But still the elder woman had problems.  
"I have eaten normal, I promise," Elyria said.  
"But you still have those problems?"  
She nodded.  
"I don't understand." Alana frowned. "Okay, I would like to get a second opinion."  
"Please, not Brandon."  
"No, but at least Kay."  
Elyria sighed but finally nodded.  
"I will be back in a minute."  
Alana left the examination room and walked along the corridor. She knew Kayla was with Enya and Dellin in the garden. But it wasn't necessary to walk the whole way herself. She waved at one of the servants. The man hurried over.  
"Please, tell Lady Kayla that I need her in the examination room. It is a private matter."  
The man nodded and hurried away.  
Alana returned to Elyria.  
"Does Dockson have any success with the crops?" Elyria asked.  
"Actually, I don't know. We haven't talked about it the last days. I had so many things in mind with the pregnancy. I didn't even ask." She chewed on her bottom lip. "I think, I will ask him later about it."  
"I'm sure he'll appreciate that." Elyria smiled. "Men like it if their wives are interested in their work."  
Alana smiled and nodded. Suddenly something came into her mind. "Moomy? Why did you marry Tokal?"  
Surprised the elder woman raised her eyebrows. "Why do you ask?"  
"I always wondered about it since my father told me about---what he did to you. Why did you marry him in the first place? I mean, didn't you see what kind of man he was?"  
Elyria shook her head. "It wasn't my decision. Every few years Lord Devinshae's obligators separated the single boys and girls in their childbearing years and wedded the best pairings. They wanted us to bear good plantation skaa."  
"But why didn't you leave him when my father took over the plantation? I mean, after you had found out that he was different."  
"I don't know, perhaps because divorcing isn't exactly the way of the skaa."  
Alana frowned. "But he beat you, he even raped you. Why didn't your family say a word?"  
"Harris did," she said with sad eyes. "He and Tokal didn't get along well. They often fought. That's why Tokal moved to another hovel complex with me, away from Harris. There he had no chance to interfere. We didn't even meet anymore as long as Lord Devinshae was our master."  
"But with my father it changed?"  
Elyria nodded. "Yes. Harris soon befriended Brandon. He told him about Tokal and me. Your father moved us back to my home hovel. Tokal and Harris fought a lot again. But it made it even worse, until that night when . . ." She trailed off and looked to the ground, ashamed.  
"I am not angry at you, Moomy. I understand what happened."  
"Your mother was a good person. She treated us well. Not like your father but she respected his decisions. Your father really loved her. It hit him hard when she died."  
Alana swallowed.  
"Hey, Hendric said you need me?" Kayla entered the room and looked surprised at her mother-in-law.  
"Yes. I need a second opinion." Alana described the problems and her findings or better what she hadn't found.  
Kayla frowned. "Let me check you," she said to Elyria.  
Alana watched her examination and saw the surprised expression on Kayla's face immediately. "What?" she asked.  
"Can we have a word?" Kayla said. They walked out of eavesdropping range. "I am a little bit confused. How old is Elyria?"  
"She is a forty nine. Why?"  
"I see signs of a pregnancy. Is it possible that she has a pseudo-pregnancy because of our pregnancies?"  
"She didn't know about it when she came to me first. Are you sure about the signs?"  
Kayla nodded. "Check it yourself."  
They returned to Elyria. Alana checked her and saw what Kayla meant. She had missed it first because she hadn't looked for it. She hadn't expected Elyria to be pregnant since the normal fertility for a woman ended at the age of about forty, even that of a skaa woman as far as she knew.  
"You see what I mean?" Kayla asked.  
Alana nodded.  
"Would you be so nice and tell me what you're talking about?" Elyria said, frowning deeply.  
"Ah, well." Alana rubbed her neck. "We are not sure but you have all signs of a pregnancy."  
Elyria started to laugh.  
Kayla and Alana looked at each other.  
When Elyria calmed down again she eyed the women. "You can't be serious."  
"Actually, we are. It could be a pseudo-pregnancy. But there is no way to tell that for sure right now. We will have to wait a couple months and see if there really is a baby growing," Alana explained.  
"But I'm too old."  
"That is the reason I missed it first. It is possible that you are pseudo-pregnant but it also is possible that you really are pregnant. We can't rule that out. However, it would explain your problems. I will give you something that helps."  
"I really could be pregnant at my age?"  
Kayla nodded. "Just because we hadn't such a case yet, doesn't mean it is impossible. Men are fertile up to an old age. I don't see a reason why women should be different."  
"Would you like to be pregnant?" Alana asked carefully.  
"I don't know," Elyria replied.  
"I guess it would be nice to have a little brother or sister growing up with our children."  
Elyria met her eyes and smiled. "That would be nice. But I'm not sure if I can endure another pregnancy. Being pregnant with Ash wasn't easy. And then I was way younger."  
"Don't worry about that. You have three healers who can care for you."  
"Two of them pregnant themselves."  
"Right. However, my father is not." Alana winked at her.  
Elyria chuckled. "May I remind you of _your_ pregnancy? I'm afraid he will be in the worst state."  
Alana laughed. "True."  
   


### » 34 «

   
It was late evening and only the candle on the sideboard lit the room. Dockson followed the contours of Alana's belly with his finger, although there still was nothing to see of her pregnancy.  
"I told you I get fat," she said.  
He raised his eyebrow and looked at her. "You are pregnant, not fat."  
"Not yet. But trust me, last time I felt like carrying triplets. I asked them to check if it really was only one baby after Enya's birth."  
"How would a certain healer say? Your body will take what it needs. And if it is necessary to gain weight, then you can't do anything to avoid it."  
She chuckled and laid her hand on his. "Can you keep a secret?"  
Again he raised his eyebrow. "You didn't really ask that?"  
She chuckled another time. "It was a rhetorical question. I know you can. Else you would have had problems with scamming." She smiled deeply.  
"Yes, I can keep a secret," he said smiling.  
"Elyria might be pregnant too."  
Dockson's jaw dropped. "You're kidding?"  
Alana shook her head. "No. She shows all signs of a pregnancy, although we can't rule out a pseudo-pregnancy."  
"Is that even possible? I mean she must be fifty."  
She shrugged. "I once had a pregnant noblewoman who was forty two. Elyria is skaa. Skaa women are more fertile. Too many skaa women never reached the age of fifty under the Lord Ruler and those who did often were mistreated. Perhaps most of them lost their children during early pregnancy."  
"You're right. But why is it a secret?"  
"Moomy doesn't want to tell my father before we aren't sure."  
"He is a healer. Shouldn't he understand it?"  
"He also is a man who really cares for his family and who can be a bit overprotective sometimes."  
"I see." Dockson smiled. "What do you think about it? I mean, you would get a sibling."  
"I like the idea."  
Dockson suddenly paused and stared at her belly. "Was there movement?"  
Alana laughed. "No, just my stomach. It will take a couple more weeks until we will be able to feel it."  
He sighed. "I can't wait to hold it in my arms."  
She smiled at him, feeling a deep love for that man. "Winslow told me you were at the hospital today," she said eventually.  
"Yes. I was curious. Besides I wanted to talk to your father about the plantation."  
"Oh. That reminds me of something. Have you been successful with your research?"  
Dockson nodded. "I think I have found some crops we can use. I have to talk about it with the elders."  
"So, my father told you that you shall care for the plantation."  
"Actually he will sign the plantation over to you because Ash is not interested in leading the plantation."  
Alana smiled deeply. "It will be your plantation then. I don't know much about planting and I am definitely no person to lead a plantation. But you are." She caressed his face. "Your plantation, your crew."  
"Why did you stop working at the hospital?"  
She paused. That question came out of a sudden and she hadn't expected it. "I don't know. I already had a patient, I guess. And I wanted to spend more time with you and Enya."  
"It didn't stop you back then. Your work always was important to you."  
"You have been healthy back then and I didn't have a daughter."  
Dockson frowned. Obviously he didn't believe her.  
"Honestly, I don't know. I have never thought about it. I haven't even realized it until now. Yes, I haven't been at the hospital since we returned but there were so many other things to do."  
"Your father misses you there. You should help him as long as you can." He caressed her belly.  
"But I have to train with you. And I want to spend time with you and Enya."  
"I didn't ask you to work there full time. But a couple hours per day would be good. Not only for your father."  
Alana sighed. "Perhaps you are right."  
"I am."  
She chuckled.  
"Talking about my training." He grinned mischievous. "What would you think about an additional training session for my legs?"  
Alana frowned confused. Then she felt his hand, caressing the inside of her thigh. Her eyes widened. Dockson bent down and kissed her deeply.  
   


### » 35 «

   
The beams of red sunlight painted the pattern of the stained glass window on the carpet. It still was a couple hours until dusk but soon the mists would come. That meant that the next group of skaa would expose themselves to the mists. Since two months, every late afternoon about twenty to thirty skaa met at the manor. They always kept the groups small so that the healers could better care for the mist taken if necessary. After the exposal of their own families and Harris' death they had waited a couple days. The rest of the noble inhabitants of the manor had been next, but fortunately all of them unharmed, though none of the four had Snapped, moreover.  
Surprisingly Swefa and Gizer had encouraged the skaa in their hovel although they had lost their only son. It had helped a lot. Almost every skaa of their hovel complex had gone out in the mists. Fortunately the deaths kept within limits. Sometimes one or two of a group died but more often no one.  
Still Dockson had problems to find a pattern. The people who died had been healthy and sick, women and men, adults, elders and children, tall and small, plantation workers and servants. He couldn't find a pattern for the mist taken as well.  
At least their theory about the Snapping proved to be true. Everyone who got taken by the mists appeared to be a Misting afterwards. Unfortunately there hadn't been another Mistborn. On the other hand it had been expectable. It was necessary to be at least a half-blood to become Mistborn. Since Lord Brandon had sired only one child and Lord Devinshae had killed all the skaa women he had taken, there was no more half-blood. And obviously Lord Benten really had been faithful to his wife.  
The only skaa with knowingly noble blood in their ancestry were only Mistings; Tiya a Rioter and Dellin a Coinshot. Enya had been untroubled by the mists. Dockson wasn't sure if he was happy about it or not. Certainly it would have been an advantage for her to be a Misting. On the other hand he would have felt awkward to have two Mistings in his close family while he was no Allomancer at all. It was a selfish thought, but he couldn't help himself.  
He heard the sounds of an arriving carriage from the courtyard and looked at his pocket watch. It was time for Alana and her father's return from the hospital. Morning and forenoon she spent with Dockson and Enya but after lunch she went to the hospital to help her father. Alana's and Kayla's pregnancies had turned out to be at about the same stage but she would be able to work at the hospital for other two or three months until it was too cumbersome. Still they didn't know for sure if Elyria was pregnant. Alana had explained that they wouldn't know before Kayla was able to hear a baby's heartbeat.  
"Hey!" a voice said softly.  
Dockson raised his head and looked at the door. Alana stood there in her hospital dress and smiled at him.  
"Hey!" he replied. "How was your day?"  
"Uneventful. And yours?"  
"Same." He realized that she hid something behind her back. He cocked his head. "Did I miss something?" he asked.  
Her smile deepened. "Perhaps."  
He sighed and stood. Then he pulled her close with one hand at her waist and gave her a kiss. "Okay, what did I miss?" he asked afterwards.  
She pulled a small wooden box from behind her back and handed it to him. "Happy birthday," she said.  
Confused he looked at her. "Why do you think it's my birthday today?"  
"You said you only know the season and the year. But when Elyria told me that the obligators paired off the unmarried skaa for good plantation skaa offspring, I though they must have kept books about them. I searched the old library and found the books. I don't know why Devinshae's obligators were so thoroughly about the planation skaa, that is rather untypical, but every skaa on Devinshae's plantation was listed with birthdates, quality characteristics and parentage."  
"Perhaps that's the reason your father send them all away when he bought the plantation."  
"Most of them went with Devinshae anyway." She shrugged. "However, I found your birthdate too." She smiled and pointed at the wooden box. "Don't you want to have a look?"  
Dockson looked at the carved box and opened up the lid. The box contained a pen made from the same carved and polished hardwood. It was beautiful handiwork. The pen even had a cap to protect the quill. Two crossing daggers were engraved into the cap and the hilt. The emblem was similar to the one on his belt buckle. His fingertip touched the engraving.  
"It is on the lid as well," Alana said with lowered voice.  
He looked at the wooden lid where the familiar crossed daggers were engraved in a larger version.  
"I hope you like it," she said, nervously chewing her bottom lip. A habit that always let her look like a little, innocent girl.  
He met her eyes and smiled deeply. He never had gotten a birthday present before. And this one wasn't just bought in a shop. It was made for _him_ especially. "It is beautiful. Thank you," he replied softly.  
"Enya is baking a cake for you for the evening meal. She is in the kitchen right now."  
The thought that his daughter was baking for him made his heart leap even more. Dockson felt how tears welled up in his eyes. He pulled his wife into a tight embrace to hide it.  
"I think the crossed daggers would make a good house crest. What do you think?" she whispered.  
"Sounds great," he simply said, not trusting his voice.  
"Are you okay?"  
"Yes." He let her go, turned and put the box on his desk. In a swift move he wiped away the traitorous tears. When he turned again, he could see in her smile that she knew it anyway. But she didn't say a word. He appreciated that. "The mists will be out soon," he said.  
Alana's face clouded. She nodded. "I guess it is time to meet the others."  
   
***  
   
Slowly the mists disappeared and revealed the sunrise on the Eastern horizon. Fortunately there hadn't been any deaths in the group of skaa the evening before. Only two of them had been taken by the mists at all. Due to the good news the following evening meal had been a real birthday festivity with Enya's cake as highlight. It had melted Alana's heart to see the warmth between Enya and her father. Within the last months the two had grown really close. She was sure that only his presence had helped Enya over the loss of Harris.  
"There will be a ball in two weeks in Curafal," Dockson suddenly said. They stood on the balcony and he had wrapped his arms around her with one hand caressing her now visible baby belly.  
"As you might feel, I am pregnant," she replied.  
"You still can dance."  
She turned her head to see his face. "Do you really want to dance with me at a ball in my state?"  
"Why shouldn't I? I have to keep distance anyway." He winked at her.  
"Yes, but I will not fit into a ball gown anymore."  
"Kayla could change a gown for you."  
"She is not familiar with the South Searan style."  
He raised his eyebrows surprised. "I'm sure we can have a dressmaker altering a gown for you in Curafal. You aren't the first pregnant noblewoman at a ball."  
Alana laughed quietly. "Have you thought about possible names already?" she asked eventually.  
For a moment he was silent. "If it is a girl I would like to name her Kareien," he finally replied.  
She turned completely and studied him. He seemed uncomfortable. "You still love her, don't you?"  
Dockson looked away. Alana reached up and took his face into her hands, turning it gently to force him to meet her eyes again. She could see wistfulness.  
"I'm sorry. It was a bad idea," he said.  
"No. I think it is a wonderful idea." She touched his lips with her fingertip. "I know how you feel about her. I guess it is the same that I feel for Markes." She paused. "I have never stopped loving him and I never will. He was a wonderful man. I miss him. As long as I keep him in my heart he will live on." She smiled. "I think he would have liked you."  
Dockson smiled at her fondly. "What about the name Markes for a boy then?" he suggested with lowered voice.  
Her smile deepened and she nodded.  



	8. Chapter 3 - Part 2

### » 36 «

   
Ash leaned against the wall of the examination room at the manor and watched his wife and his sister while they checked Elyria. Kayla had told him about his mother's possible pregnancy. Today they would find out if it was real or just a hormonal problem.  
"So you'll leave for Curafal today?" he asked Dockson who stood next to him.  
He nodded. "Ally owes me a dance."  
"It was one of your motivations, right?"  
He nodded again.  
"You'll be away a couple days then."  
"Yes, especially because she wants to visit a dressmaker first to alter one of her ball gowns." Dockson grinned.  
"Why not Kayla?"  
"Al thinks she is not familiar enough with the South Searan style yet." He shrugged.  
Ash chuckled but then sighed. "I would love to dance with Kay too. But I never learned it."  
"She neither."  
Ash frowned. "Didn't Ally train the whole crew in Luthadel?"  
"No, just Mare, Kell and me. Kayla didn't want to."  
He sighed relieved. "You have no idea how good it is to know that."  
"Let me guess." Dockson grinned. "You thought she can dance and would like to dance with you."  
Ash nodded. "Exactly."  
"Ash!" Alana called.  
He turned and looked at his sister. She waved him over. He pushed himself away from the wall and sauntered over to her.  
Alana grinned. "We get a sibling."  
His eyes widened. "Really? Mom is pregnant?"  
She nodded.  
"That's cool."  
Alana laughed. "That is one way of putting it." She hugged him. "The funny thing is that it means all three women of the core family are pregnant. How would uncle Benten say? We double the size of the family within a couple months."  
"You forget Aunt Ortwin."  
"She doesn't count." She suddenly bit her lips, probably feeling guilty about her comment. "Although it would be great given that they don't have children yet."  
He nodded. "Perhaps it would relax her a bit."  
Alana chuckled.  
Ash couldn't see his mother anymore. "Where is Mom now?"  
"Telling our father."  
He grinned. "He will fall out of his world."  
Alana nodded, grinning as well. "I would love to be there and see his face."  
The thought made Ash even more grin. "Is it Kay's turn now?" he asked.  
"Yes, it is." She smiled. "You have better ears. Would you like to check?"  
"May I?" His heart leaped when she nodded. He followed her, grinning broadly. He would hear the heartbeat of his unborn child! The thought made him terribly nervous but also excited.  
Kayla already lay on the examination table. She smiled at him deeply. Alana handed him an ear trumpet. For a moment he looked at it helpless. Kayla chuckled and Alana showed him how to use it. Finally he laid his ear on the smaller opening and listened. He heard nothing. Then he burned tin. Immediately the world around him grew ablaze with light.  
Ash closed his eyes and concentrated on his hearing. He heard Kayla's heartbeat and a strange whooshing sound. They were accompanied by a loud fast beating and a quieter fast beating, the baby. He smiled deeply.  
"What do you hear?" Alana had asked quietly, obviously expecting that he was burning tin, but still her voice sounded loud in his enhanced ears.  
He described the sounds.  
"You hear what?" his sister asked surprised.  
"Kayla's heartbeat---"  
She cut him off. "The last part about the fast beating."  
"I hear it loud and clearly and the same rhythm a little quieter."  
Kayla and Alana shared looks.  
"Ash, turn to the other side with the ear trumpet, slowly. And describe the changes," his wife asked.  
He frowned but did as requested. He listened again and moved the strange wooden instrument slowly over Kayla's belly to the other side. The first beating grew quieter while the second beating grew louder. He told them.  
Alana grinned as well as Kayla.  
"What?" he asked. "What do I miss?"  
"How many fast beatings did you hear?"  
"Two."  
"And if you hear two heartbeats what does that usually mean?"  
His eyes widened in understanding. "Two babies?"  
The women nodded. "Kayla is having twins."  
Dockson had joined them earlier and now patted his back. "Congratulation." He grinned.  
"Twins." For a moment Ash wasn't sure if he should be shocked or happy. Finally he decided on the second.  
"That is rare, even for skaa." Kayla smiled deeply. Obviously she was just as happy.  
"Okay, my turn," Alana said grinning. She opened the lower buttons of her blouse and bared her baby belly. Then she and Kayla switched places.  
"May I again?" Ash asked.  
Kayla and Alana looked at each other. Finally Alana shrugged. "I don't mind."  
"Feel free," Kayla said.  
Ash grinned and attached the ear trumpet. He listened. There was the whooshing sound again and Alana's heartbeat, and then the fast thumping. Suddenly he started to laugh. He laughed so hard that he sank to the ground, leaning against the table. Immediate tears ran down his face.  
"What?" Kayla asked confused.  
Wordless he handed her the ear trumpet. While rocking with laughter he watched his wife. He could see her eyes widen. She fought it but finally burst into laughter as well.  
"Okay, that is mean. What is so funny?" Alana asked.  
Dockson was confused as well.  
"You . . ." Kayla snorted with laughter. "That's so ridiculous." She went on laughing and wiped her tears away.  
"Two heartbeats." Ash called from the ground, holding his belly that started to hurt from laughing.  
"What two heartbeats?" Alana dug deeper.  
"There are two heartbeats. Twins!" Kayla laughed.  
"You are kidding me. That is almost impossible for noblewomen."  
"Yes, _almost_." Kayla convulsed with laughter.  
"What was that before about doubling the size of the family?" Ash laughed. "Now you can say that literally."  
He could see how Dockson cracked a smile. "Twins, hum?" he said to Alana. His smile widened. Finally he laughed as well.  
Slowly Ash calmed down again, but still he grinned broadly. It was just too ridiculous. Both, his wife _and_ his sister would get twins, four babies at once. And with his mother's child there would be five babies at the manor in just a couple more months.  
Alana was the only one who didn't laugh. "That means I am getting really fat this time," she suddenly said.  
It made Ash burst into laughter again.  
   


### » 37 «

   
The carriage rumbled over a bump on the road to Curafal. Alana watched Dockson. He looked out of the carriage window, lost in thoughts. But he seemed to be at one with the world. She smiled and laid her hands on her belly. _Two heartbeats_ , she thought. _I am having two babies. That is so rare among the nobility. Perhaps it is because Dox is skaa. Perhaps not the woman causes it but the man. It would explain it. After all, his semen caused the pregnancy._ She caressed her belly and looked at him again. _Two babies from you, my love. I have lost you once and almost lost you a second time. All the trouble we went through to come together was worth it. Now we get paid for it._ Her smile deepened.  
Alana looked out of the window as well. A slight ashfall covered the ground. She frowned. They rarely had ashfalls in South Searan but in the last weeks there had been more than just a few. _The ashmounts are very active lately_ , she thought. They were far away from the ashmounts, fortunately. She didn't like the ash spitting mounts. They made anything even more grey and dark. The ash had been one of the things she had hated most about Luthadel.  
Her eyes wandered over the fields. Not many skaa worked the fields they passed right now. The crops were short and planted very close. She frowned.  
"I don't know much about crops but aren't the plants too close together?" she asked.  
Dox smiled. "Usually, yes."  
"Usually?" She cocked her head and eyed her husband. "Why not in this case?"  
"Those are forage crops."  
Confused she shook her head. "Why do we have forage crops?"  
"We will need them for the herds." He smiled mischievous.  
"Oh, come on. Stop that," Alana complained.  
Dockson chuckled. "I'm going to buy some livestock in Curafal. Those forage crops don't need much light and attention. They just grow. We can feed livestock with it. Livestock means milk and meat. We can't survive just on crops, particularly not on crops that need less sunlight."  
Alana smiled. "That is a good idea," she said.  
"I'll see if I can talk to some of the noblemen who own the surrounding plantations. Your father named me some of the noblemen who could be interested in my plans."  
"It is a good idea to share the knowledge." She nodded but then frowned. "Wait a minute. The best chance to talk to them is during the ball."  
Dockson nodded.  
She let her shoulders drop. "So much for, I will have a nice evening with my husband."  
"I doubt you want to dance the whole night," Dockson said.  
"I will have to talk to the ladies there while you debate with the other noblemen."  
"Isn't that the usual activity at balls, talking to other members of the nobility?"  
Alana sighed. "Yes." She looked out of the window again. _Yes, it is. But I hate it. I had enough of those flippancies in Luthadel. That is the reason why I usually avoid balls without company._ But what had she expected? That he really would stay with her the whole evening? He was member of the nobility now and had a plantation to care for. That meant responsibilities. And he was used to this kind of chats. With Markes it had been different given that he didn't have to care for his own business. Therefore he had been able to stay with her the whole evening.  
Dockson switched the seats and sat down next to her. He laid his arm around her and kissed her cheek. She cuddled up against him.  
"We will have plenty enough time together in Curafal. After all, we are married now," he said with soft voice.  
"Promise me that you will dance more than once with me at the ball," she demanded.  
"I promise to dance with you as much as possible."  
"That's not enough. As much as possible can mean not even once," she complained.  
"Right." He sighed. "I promise to dance with you at least three times and every time more than just one dance." He tried to meet her eyes. Finally she looked at him. "Agreeable?"  
She still pouted but then nodded.  
Dockson kissed her tenderly.  
Alana sighed afterwards.  
"Hey, _you_ said I shall lead the plantation."  
"I know."  
"Soon we will have two babies to care for and I want to prepare anything that I have more time to spend with the three of you."  
"Four. We shouldn't forget Enya."  
"I'd never forget her. How could I? She is a spitting image of you." He smiled. "She is as beautiful as you are."  
Alana rolled her eyes but smiled. "You are awful."  
He grinned. "Someone has to make your life miserable."  
   


### » 38 «

   
They had taken quarters at the Harsworth Inn again. While Dockson had gone out to meet a trader for livestock Alana walked along the main street to her favourite gown shop. At first glance one would have thought nothing had changed since the Lord Ruler's death. But at second glance you could see the difference. The skaa didn't hide. They walked with pride. She could see a smile from time to time and heard even laughter of skaa children.  
Alana entered the shop and paused. For a moment she felt taken back in time. Her feeling was a mixture of joy and hatred. She loved the gowns and the dancing but she hated the deceitfulness underneath.  
"Lady Alana! What a pleasure!"  
Alana smiled at the elder woman who approached her. "Lady Spania. It is good to see you again."  
The woman looked at her belly and paused. "Is that what I think it is?" she asked carefully.  
"I am pregnant, yes."  
"Oh, congratulation, my dear. I have heard you married. But actually I was a bit surprised about the name. Is the man related to Lady Enya's father?"  
Alana chuckled. "He _is_ Enya's father, Lady Spania."  
"I don't understand. Didn't you say he died?"  
"That is what I said, true. But it was a lie. We had been forced to break up and we didn't know that I was pregnant back then. I returned to Luthadel after the Lord Ruler's death. Fortunately, I met him again given that he was one of the core advisors of the new king, who happened to be my cousin Elend. Elend even is emperor of three dominances by now."  
"Oh, what a wonderful coincidence." The woman smiled.  
Alana didn't tell her the whole truth although she had a rather good relationship to Lady Spania. She had always treated her skaa staff well. Anyway, the people would believe what they wanted to believe. Some of them would know that Dockson was skaa, but it wasn't necessary to point that out. The only important thing was his current station and that was far above theirs.  
"However, I need you to alter one of my gowns. We would like to visit the ball at the end of the week but I don't fit into it anymore as you can see." She smiled.  
"Of course, my dear. I have to take your current measurements first. Let's go to the backroom for that."  
Alana nodded and followed her through the backdoor.  
   
After her visit at the dressmaker's, Alana strolled along the street and studied the shop windows, a silken parasol shading her face against the sun. She missed Ash's company. In the past he always had been with her when she walked through Curafal. But since he had taken over the leading of the security, he couldn't be her personal guard anymore. He had responsibilities now. She could have asked one of the other guards, Purill or Della, to accompany her, but she wanted to pay a visit to someone. And there she couldn't use the company of one of the others, although her relationship to Della was kind of close since their journey. But this visit was of a very private matter. She hadn't even told Dockson about it.  
When she reached the mansion she nodded at the guards, who bowed to her. She smiled. They obviously remembered her. She walked over the courtyard and climbed the stairs to the main entrance. There she knocked with the help of a metal door knocker. The door opened a minute later.  
The servant raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Lady Leary, what a pleasure," he said smiling and bowed to her.  
"My name is Cowell by now, Feroll." She smiled back.  
"I apologize. Come in, please." He stepped aside and let her pass.  
Alana entered the foyer.  
"Please, follow me to the parlour, my lady," he said.  
"I know the way, Feroll. I will wait there. Will you go and get Lord Esten, please?"  
"Certainly, my lady."  
Alana walked into the parlour and stepped to the window, looking out at the mansion's garden. During her last visit it had been covered by snow, now the plants showed their whole beauty.  
It took a few minutes until Feroll returned.  
"Lady Cowell, Lord Esten will be here in a couple minutes," he said.  
"Thank you, Feroll."  
"Would you like some tea, my lady?"  
"That would be very kind of you."  
The servant disappeared and returned several minutes later with a tablet with two cups and a teapot. He put the tablet on the table and filled one cup. Then he handed it to Alana.  
"Thank you," she said smiling.  
"Is there anything else I can do for you, my lady?"  
"No, you may leave."  
He bowed to her and left the parlour. Alana sat down in one of the armchairs and sipped her tea. The cup was almost empty when Esten finally appeared. He hesitated in the door way.  
Alana looked up and met his eyes. There was an expression she couldn't identify. "Hello Esten," she said quietly.  
"Hello Alana," he replied and entered the parlour. But he didn't settle down in one of the chairs. Instead he stayed on his feet a couple feet away from her.  
Alana cocked her head and then stood herself. She stepped closer until she realized the hint of a shying away from his side, but he suppressed it and stayed where he was. Surprised she raised her eyebrows. "What is wrong?"  
"You are pregnant?" he asked instead of answering her question.  
"Yes, I am. I am expecting twins."  
"Twins? That is rare. Congratulation."  
"Thank you."  
Alana made another move toward him but this time he stepped back. It gave her a stab and she took a deep breath. "What is it?" she asked quietly.  
"You are married, and obviously not to me," he replied.  
She frowned. "Is that the reason you didn't come?"  
He looked away.  
Alana stepped closer, but before he could evade her, she grabbed his arm, holding him. The touch of her hand was enough to let him pause. She didn't have to force him. Their eyes met again.  
"I thought you and Garia . . ."  
He shook his head. "She is my mistress, yes, but nothing more."  
"Because she is skaa?"  
"No, because I don't love her."  
"But still you sleep with her."  
"You don't have to love a woman to sleep with her," he replied dryly. "I like her and I respect her. That is more than other noblemen feel for their mistresses."  
Alana winced. That didn't sound like the man she knew. "What happened?" she asked. "What happened to the Esten I knew?"  
He looked at her for quite a while. "He fell in love with the wrong woman," he replied eventually, a painfully expression in his eyes.  
Alana let him go and sat down again. Her biggest fear regarding their friendship had come true. She felt a big lump in her throat and her stomach twisted.  
"I know I have made a promise. But I can't. Please, leave my house and never come back," he said quietly, a slight tremble in his voice.  
"You are kicking me out?" She looked at him, fighting her tears.  
"No. I ask you to go. I love you, Alana. I thought I could handle it, but I can't. Please, respect my wish."  
Again she saw the pain in his eyes. "I am sorry," she whispered. Then she stood and walked toward the door. She hoped he would hold her back, he would say something, but he didn't. She hesitated in the doorway and glanced over her shoulder. But he hadn't moved, just turned his head and now stared out of the window. She barely suppressed a sob. In that moment she realized that she _did_ love him very much, not the way he wanted, but as a friend. And to lose him hurt. It hurt terribly.  
   


### » 39 «

   
The one-story building was about thirty feet high with floor-to-ceiling windows from stained-glass. The building's diameter was a multiple of its height. Its large front doors provided enough room that two carriages would be able to drive through side by side.  
Dockson offered Alana his arm and she took it. The other hand she laid on her clearly visible baby belly. The gown had been altered in an interesting way in his opinion. It didn't hide the belly rather accentuated it. Alana's eyes glowed excited. She met his eyes and smiled deeply. He could see the pride in her eyes. She was proud of expecting his children and wanted everyone to see it.  
There had been wistfulness in her eyes during the last days. She hadn't told him where it had come from, although he had asked. Nevertheless he had an idea. It had started shortly after their arrival in Curafal, after she had been at the dressmaker's shop. She had tried to hide it, but he knew her too well by now to miss it. It bothered him that she didn't talk to him about it. But by now he couldn't see it anymore. There was only excitement in her eyes.  
Dockson led her through the large doors and they entered a foyer. Alana handed her shawl to one of the servants. Some of the waiting nobility eyed them curious. When Alana turned to them the men bowed and the women curtsied. Alana simply tilted her head in reply and so did he.  
"Is there anyone _above_ your station here at this ball?" he asked quietly.  
"No. House Leary might not be a Great House anymore but still we are high nobility. And with your standing we are of the highest rank, way above theirs," she replied with lowered voice, smiling at one of the noblemen.  
"That means I don't have to bow to anyone."  
She turned her head and looked at him, smiling fondly. "They have to bow to _you_!"  
"Good." He smiled with twinkling eyes, feeling a deep satisfaction. He wouldn't have liked to bow to a nobleman.  
They entered the Curafal Town Hall. It was one large room with several pillars separating it into different areas. The surrounding ones were equipped with platforms for the dining tables. In the centre of the hall was a small dance floor where a few couples already danced to soft music, played by an orchestra on a platform at the northern side of the dance floor. It wasn't comparable to the opulent ball halls of the Great Houses in Luthadel. It was much simpler, but still had an aesthetic touch of luxury.  
A servant approached them. "Lord and Lady Cowell." He bowed. "I was ordered to lead you to your table."  
"Thank you," Alana replied.  
Dockson could see how the man paused, a surprised expression in his face. It made him frown.  
"Please, follow me," the man said.  
They followed him to a table in a corner hidden behind one of the pillars. Dockson shared a look with Alana. She had a deep frown on her forehead and her eyes were thinned.  
"I think there must be a mistake," Dockson said to the servant.  
"I was ordered to take you to this table, my lord," the man replied, obviously feeling uncomfortable.  
"You know our station?"  
He nodded. "Yes, my lord."  
"Is this a table appropriate to our station?"  
"No, my lord."  
"Then, please, take us to a table appropriate to our station."  
Again there was that surprised expression in his face. He nodded. "Of course, my lord." He turned and headed for one of the central tables on the highest platform.  
Dockson looked at Alana. She formed a simple word with her mouth, _skaa_. He indicated a nod. So she suspected the same. The servant was skaa and not used to _please_ or _thanks_ coming from a member of the nobility. They arrived at the table and sat down.  
The servant bowed and turned to withdraw.  
"Stay," Alana ordered.  
He froze and turned again. "My lady. I was ordered to return to my duty immediately."  
She frowned. "You are skaa?"  
"Yes, my lady."  
"Who is your master?"  
"Lord Poireen, my lady."  
Surprised she raised her eyebrows. "I didn't expect that he still has skaa servants after the revolution."  
"I have a family to support, my lady. Skaa servants are not rare in the region and it is hard to find another employment."  
"Is he paying you?"  
"We can stay in his house and get clothing and food, my lady."  
Alana thinned her eyes. "Is he treating you well?" she asked softly.  
The man swallowed and looked down.  
"Tell me your name," Dockson requested, also using a soft tone to make the man more comfortable.  
"Carn, my lord," he said.  
"Okay, Carn. We can always use some help on our plantation."  
"I am no plantation skaa, my lord. I don't know how to work the fields. Neither does my wife. She always has been a kitchen maid."  
"Very well, we also can use people for the manor."  
Carn looked at him surprised. "You are offering me to work at your manor, my lord?"  
"Yes." Dockson smiled at him. "My wife and I stay at the Harsworth Inn until tomorrow noon. Meet us there with your family."  
He could see hope in the eyes of the man. It made him angry to still see skaa working for noblemen under duress.  
"May I leave now, my lord?"  
He dismissed him. The man bowed and withdrew. Dockson noticed Alana's smile. She looked at him fondly.  
"Who is this Lord Poireen?" he asked.  
"Someone I should have warned you about. I had not expected that he still is holding a grudge against me."  
"Why?"  
"When I returned from Luthadel, unmarried and pregnant with a baby from a lesser nobleman, I caused a scandal, you remember."  
He nodded.  
"No nobleman of high station is interested in a liaison with such a woman. House Poireen has a high station. Not as high as House Leary, but one of the highest in the area." She took a deep breath. "Nonetheless Vreth Poireen gave me his handkerchief at one of the balls."  
"He was seriously courting you?"  
She nodded. "I refused the present."  
"I don't get the impression that he is used to hear a _No_."  
"He was furious. But how could I marry a man I even refuse to befriend?" She shook her head. "He is an arrogant bastard who always mistreated his skaa."  
Dockson laid his hand on hers. "Don't worry about him. I guess this was his way to show his disrespect. He tried to dishonour you. But you are above that." He smiled. "Let's have some dinner and then I would like to dance with you."  
   
During the dinner no one had disturbed them, but afterwards some of the noblemen and noblewomen had approached them to pay their respect. They had congratulated them to the pregnancy as well. There had been familiar names among them, people Lord Brandon had mentioned as potential business associates. Dockson had already arranged a meeting with them for a later point in time.  
He had hoped to finally meet Lord Esten Mondo but apparently the nobleman was not present, neither was Lord Vreth Poireen. Both had courted his wife before, although only one of them she had actually met. However, Poireen seemed to be a man he better _should_ know while Mondo was a man he _wanted_ to know. Perhaps they would arrive to a later time.  
When they were alone for once, Dockson rose and offered his hand to Alana. "Would you care to dance, my love?"  
She smiled deeply at him and took his hand. Then she stood and Dockson led her to the dance floor. He took her hand and put the other arm at her waist. Slowly they glided across the dance floor.  
"I can see you have practised a lot," Alana whispered after a while.  
"I had ten years to do so." He smiled.  
"The thought how you dance with other women makes me jealous." Her eyes twinkled while she said that. But he also could see hidden sincerity.  
"Perhaps it makes you feel better if I tell you that I always hoped it would be you."  
"Did you?"  
He nodded. "You trained me. Dancing was always something were I couldn't avoid to remember you."  
" _Couldn't avoid_ sounds so unromantic."  
"Sometimes I tried to forget you. It did hurt too much to remember that you were gone."  
"I know what you mean," she said quietly. "But I never wanted to forget you, despite the pain. The great time we had was too important to me. And I knew you were alive. It didn't ease the pain but it made it endurable."  
"You know sometimes I still hate nobility."  
She frowned. "Why is that?"  
"You always have to behave with proper manners around them."  
Now she looked confused. "I don't understand."  
"I would like to kiss you right now but I am not allowed to."  
Alana smiled deeply. "You can kiss me after the ball as much as you want."  
"Is that a promise?"  
"Yes."  
" _Wherever_ I want?" He grinned mischievous.  
She looked into his eyes and immediately blushed. "You are awful."  
"That's why you love me."  
She grimaced. "The worst is you are right."  
The wish to kiss her grew more intense. "How can noblemen stand that?" he asked.  
"What?"  
"Always to behave with the women they love. It really is hard not to fall out of protocol while you're dancing."  
"What would happen if there wasn't the proper _distance_ while dancing?"  
He inhaled sharply. "Perish the thought! I wouldn't be able to behave."  
Alana chuckled.  
The music changed to faster tempo. They adapted to it and whirled around the dance floor.  
   
***  
   
The warm water relaxed her muscles. She could simply have burned pewter, but that didn't have the same mentally relaxing effect as a bathtub full with hot water. Fortunately each quarters at Harsworth's inn had own bathrooms with very large bathtubs. She had asked for a prepared bath for their return from the ball. Now she lay in the scented water and enjoyed it.  
"Is it hot enough?"  
Alana turned her head and smiled at Dockson who stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. He had taken off his coat and vest and opened the upper buttons of his white shirt. Just the way she liked him the most.  
"Yes!" she said and smiled.  
Dockson pushed himself away from the doorframe and sauntered over to her. He grabbed one of the chairs in the room and sat down at the foot of the tub. Alana raised her foot and nudged him with it. Dockson smiled. He took the foot with his hands and started to massage it. She exhaled pleased and leaned her head back, enjoying the treatment with closed eyes.  
"How was your meeting, actually?" she asked after a while without opening her eyes.  
"Pretty well. Brandon was right. They were interested in my ideas."  
"That is good." She smiled. "And what about the livestock?"  
"I bought thousand sheep and five hundred goats for the plantation. They will be delivered within the next two weeks."  
Alana looked up confused. "So many?"  
"We have a couple hundred people to feed. We always have to hold back enough animals to keep the herd growing. Else we will consume faster than we are able to reproduce."  
Alana sighed. "Definitely not my profession."  
Dockson chuckled. "That's what you have me for."  
"Fortunately. At least one person in the family who knows what to do with a plantation."  
"Actually, it will be more than a plantation when we start to keep livestock."  
"If you say so." She closed her eyes again.  
He stopped massaging her foot, grabbed the other one and went on with the treatment.  
"I could get used to this," she said purring.  
He laughed quietly and kissed her big toe. After a while he stopped the massage again. Alana complained with a muttering.  
"Is the water still hot enough?"  
"I could stay in here for hours."  
"Hum, which could be a problem for the promise you made."  
Alana frowned. "What promise?"  
"Remember our first dance tonight? We had a little chat about kissing." He grinned mischievous. "You promised me that I could kiss you how much and _wherever_ I want."  
Her eyes widened and she could feel her body react on just the simple thought. The hot water didn't help.  
Dockson undressed and climbed into the bathtub. It was large enough that they easily fit in it together. Water spilled over the edge.  
"Given that kissing could be a problem under water I guess I'll start with other things first."  
She felt his hand touching her skin a moment later.  
   


### » 40 «

   
It was late evening already when the messenger arrived. He had ridden his horse hard. Xern led the man to Lord Brandon's study.  
"My lord!" The man bowed. "Lord Balal sends me. His daughter, Lady Garda, had an accident with her horse. She got wounded and is unconscious. Lord Balal asks for your help."  
Brandon jumped to his feet. "Where is she now?"  
"At the manor."  
"Xern, I need my fastest horse saddled, immediately."  
The Thug nodded and dashed out of the room. With his pewter enhanced speed he would pass on his order faster than anyone else.  
He turned back to the messenger. "Have you seen Lady Garda? Can you give me any additional information?"  
"No, my lord."  
"Do you know how it happened?"  
"I only know that she was unseated. The horse reared up."  
"Do you know if the horse has hit her with its hooves?"  
"No, my lord. I don't know."  
Brandon sighed and hurried to the examination room. He packed a bag with all instruments and medicine he would probably need. Finally he hasted out of the manor. His horse was already waiting in the courtyard. And so was Kayla. She sat on her own horse already.  
He smiled. "That is going to be a hard ride through the mists and you are pregnant. Are you sure you want to come with me?"  
"You'll probably need my help if you have to do an operation. I still can ride," she simply replied.  
"Very well, then. Let's go!"  
He mounted and spurred the horse. A moment later he immersed in the mists. He heard the hooves of Kayla's horse close behind him. Fortunately he knew the way to Manor Balal and the road to it was well maintained. Still it would cost them at least two hours until they arrived there.  
   
When Kayla and Brandon arrived at Manor Balal, they dismounted and hurried into the building. One of the guards led them to the girl immediately.  
"Lord Leary! I am so glad that you came," Lord Balal said when they entered the room.  
"How is Garda?" Brandon asked.  
"Still unconscious. But see yourself."  
Kayla was already at the bed of the girl together with the girl's mother. "Don't!" she demanded and took a cup away from Lady Balal. "Have you given her something already?" she asked.  
"No. I just prepared it."  
"Good. She shouldn't drink until we're sure she has no internal wounds. Else it could kill her."  
In shock the woman backed away. "I didn't mean to," she spluttered.  
"I know," Kayla said softly and smiled at her reassuring. She turned to the wounded girl.  
Brandon gave the woman a Soothing to dampen her feeling of guilt. Finally he nodded at Kayla. "Kay, care for the head wound."  
She nodded and removed the temporary bandage.  
Brandon checked the rest of the girl's body. "Did the horse hit her?" he asked the father while examining Garda.  
"Not as far as I know. I wasn't there."  
"Who was?"  
"Her brother."  
"Where is he?"  
"I sent him to his rooms."  
"I need to question him."  
"Harkel! Go, get him!"  
The guard left the room. It took a couple minutes until he returned. With him was a young man about twenty.  
"Torean, tell Lord Leary what happened," his father ordered.  
The young man just stared at his sister.  
Brandon gave him a little Soothing.  
Torean ripped his eyes from his sister and began. "We were on a ride over the plantation when a bird shot out of the field. Garda's horse reared up and she fell to the ground."  
"Did the horse hit her?" Brandon asked.  
"Yes, Sir. It reared another time before I was able to catch its reins. It hit her at the belly."  
"I was afraid so. It explains why it is so hard." Brandon looked up. "Kay, are you done there?"  
"In a minute."  
"Good. I'll need you here." He climbed to his feet and prepared what he needed. "Be glad that my daughter-in-law stopped your wife from giving Garda something to drink," he said to Lord Balal and returned to the bed. He started the operation and Kayla assisted him.  
   
Lady Balal handed them cups with hot tea. Thankfully they accepted it. The operation had been hard but with Kayla's assistance Brandon had been able to stop the internal bleeding and save the girl's life.  
"The night will be crucial. If she survives it, she will be fine," he said.  
"I don't know how to thank you, Lord Leary," Lord Balal replied. Brandon could see remorse in his eyes.  
"Don't thank me. Without Kayla I wouldn't have been able to succeed with the operation."  
Lady Balal eyed her. "You said, she is your daughter-in-law," she asked.  
"That is true. She is married to my son Ash."  
"Your son is a half-blood, is that true?"  
Brandon raised his head. He was tired but still he had heard a certain undertone in her voice that made him perk up. "Yes, he is. His mother, my wife, is born skaa."  
"And Lady Kayla is skaa too?"  
"Yes, I am," Kayla said.  
"But I have seen you work. You work like an experienced healer. How is that possible if you are skaa?"  
"My sister-in-law, Lady Alana, taught me in healing years ago, back then when we first met in Luthadel."  
"When you stopped me from giving my daughter tea, has she taught you that?"  
"Yes. We had a case in Luthadel where a man had been crushed by a crate. He also had internal damage."  
Lady Balal looked at her husband, a pleading in her eyes. Brandon could see the remorse in his face increase. He frowned. That wasn't about the operation or Garda's accident. He gave him a Soothing to make him more talkative, more willing to disburden his heart.  
"Aphar, what is this about?" he asked the man, intentionally using his given name to make the situation more intimate.  
Lord Balal closed his eyes, now wincing visibly. "I am sorry," he replied. "I should have warned you. But now it is too late. I had a bad feeling about this from the beginning."  
"What are you talking about?" Brandon asked, giving him another Soothing.  
"Your daughter and her husband are at the ball in Curafal tonight, aren't they?"  
"Yes. Why?"  
"Poireen still has a grudge against Lady Alana because she has turned him down. I am sure he was furious when he found out that she has married a skaa instead." He shook his head. "He doesn't care about his station given by the Luthadel king. He and some others don't like to bow to a skaa. They think it is humiliating. You know he never treated his skaa well."  
"Not well is good. He has tortured them." Brandon clasped his fists. "That is the reason Alana refused to even consider his proposal."  
"Poireen incited the others against Lord Cowell. They are planning---" He swallowed and looked down. "They asked me to join them because I am not happy about the development since the Lord Ruler's death. But I wouldn't go that far."  
Brandon thinned his eyes, a bad feeling twisting his stomach. He gave him another Soothing, this time Pushing harder. "Join you for what?"  
"They are planning an assault at them, at Harsworth's inn. Harsworth himself is involved as well."  
Kayla gasped in shock.  
"They'll send assassins to kill them," Aphar added quietly.  
Brandon jumped to his feet, pushing the chair away that it fell to the ground. "When?"  
"I don't know. I wasn't involved in the planning. I only know that it will happen at the inn." Aphar met Brandon's eyes. "I am sorry. Even if it hasn't happened by now, by horse you can't be in Curafal early enough to warn them."  
"No, but I know someone who is faster!" Kayla jumped to her feet as well. "Ash is Mistborn! Ally made it to Luthadel from Garolle within just a few hours. Ash can be even faster." She hurried out of the room.  
Brandon followed her. At the door he stopped and turned. "Pray that he will be in Curafal in time or I promise you that I will not be able to stop him when he seeks revenge."  



	9. Chapter 3 - Part 3

### » 41 «

   
The dining room wasn't large, although it contained one table for each guest quarters in case that the inn was fully booked. Some tables were niched to give the occupants more privacy. They had chosen one of these tables for breakfast. It had been a very long night and they had slept late. Beside their table only two more tables were occupied, one with two younger men and a second one with a single man about their own age. Alana had nodded to the duo when they had entered.  
"You know them?" Dockson asked while eating.  
"I have treated the sister of the younger one. She almost died back then. I am a bit surprised to see him here given that his family has a mansion in Curafal. But perhaps he is just visiting his friend." She picked a fruit from her plate. "Do you think Carn will come?" she asked.  
"I hope. I didn't like the expression in his eyes. He was afraid of his master. Skaa shouldn't be afraid of noblemen anymore." He frowned.  
"I know. Poireen is everything but a nice man." Suddenly she smiled. "I wish you had been able to scam him. I would have loved to see him lose lots of money by a skaa thieving crew."  
Dockson grinned. "You _definitely_ don't like the man."  
"He is a bastard. I wouldn't put him on the same level as Straff Venture, but he is a brute, at least when it comes to skaa." She sighed. "Can we change the topic? I don't like to talk about him. It raises bad memories."  
He frowned about that but nodded. He had never met the man, but he already didn't like him. He had been surprised that there hadn't been another encounter at the ball. He had expected him at least to show off after the situation with Carn. But Alana hadn't been able to spot him.  
The door opened and two more men entered the room. One glanced at them and frowned. The men walked to the single man and talked to him. Again the man glanced at their table. Dockson grew tense.  
"Al? Do you know the men who entered a minute before?"  
"No, why?"  
"Call me paranoid, but I don't like the way one of them is glancing at us."  
"We are in Curafal, not in Luthadel," she said smiling. But he could see in her eyes that she was alert too.  
Suddenly he saw movement at the other tables. Something sparkled in the incident sunlight. Alana knocked over the table to shield them. The plates scattered to the floor. Chips of wood sprayed out of the table when the coins hit it.  
"Damn, I hate Coinshots," Dockson cursed and pulled his daggers out.  
"I take him down. Take care of the others," Alana said.  
He nodded. They jumped over the overturned table and Dockson attacked the three other men while Alana headed for the Coinshot and his companion. With her pewter enhanced speed she reached them before they were able to react. And Dockson knew that she didn't wear metal. It was a very healthy habit her former fiancé had caused. Markes had been a Coinshot himself and he had asked her to never wear metal. She had promised it to him, although she had broken the promise when Dockson had given her his ring. But now Enya wore it.  
Dockson crashed into the closest of the three men. His daggers hit flesh and the man went immediately down. He turned to one of the other men and attacked. A hard blow pressed the air out of his lungs. How had he been able to dodge him so easily and hit him so hard at once? The man grabbed his wrists and twisted them. Suddenly he understood. Thug! With an outcry Dockson let his daggers go. The Thug released his wrists but caught his arm immediately after. Dockson tried to break free, but he had no chance against the pewter enhanced strength of the man. The Thug turned him around and grabbed his other arm as well. He pulled both back hard that Dockson almost had the feeling his shoulders would be dislocated. Pain shot through his arms and shoulders.  
The third man approached him with thinned eyes. It was the one who had made him suspicious. The man's fist crashed into his stomach. Dockson groaned. The Thug still held him with pulled back arms but his legs were free. Despite the pain that shot through his shoulders again he used the Thug as anchor and jerked his legs up. He crashed his feet into the chest of his attacker. The man fell backwards into the table behind him. He picked himself up and looked at Dockson, pure hatred in his eyes.  
"Take care of his legs," he growled.  
The Thug pulled back his arms even more and pinched his legs. Dockson couldn't move anymore. The next moment another blow landed in his stomach followed by several punches into his face. The attacker drew closer and crashed his knee into his stomach. Dockson used the moment of closeness and brought his head up and forward in a hard move. His forehead met the face of his attacker. It earned him another couple of punches but at least the nose of the man seemed to be broken.  
Dockson tasted blood on his lips and felt blood trickling down from his brow. Another man joined his attacker. It was the younger man Alana had recognized. He had been with the Coinshot. His attacker turned to that man.  
Sudden panic crept down Dockson's spine. _Ally!_ He looked past the men. He could see the Coinshot lying dead on the ground, his head twisted in an unnatural way. Next to him sat Alana, her hands over her belly. Blood trickled through her fingers and a puddle of blood already was on the ground, her blood.  
"No!" he whispered.  
Their eyes met. He saw terrible fear in her eyes. Tears ran down her face.  
"Why is she still alive?" his attacker snapped at the younger man angry.  
"He is the target, not her," the young man replied.  
"Are you crazy? You can't let that skaa whore live."  
"I don't kill her. She saved my sister."  
Dockson's attacker, obviously the leader of the group, snarled. He turned and moved over to Alana. With one hand he grabbed her hair and pulled her to her feet. She didn't even wince. _Pewter!_ Dockson suddenly thought. _She must flare it. She tries to protect the babies._ He howled and tried to break free. His fear for her gave him additional strength but he could only free one of his legs. He kicked back but the Thug didn't even stumble.  
"How dare you touch a noblewoman?" the leader hissed at him, still holding Alana's head back by her hair. "Skaa don't sleep with noblewomen."  
"Please, let him go!" she pleaded barely audible.  
Dockson realized that she was close to collapse. _She hasn't swallowed much pewter, only a few flakes. Pewter burns fast if it is flared._  
"Let her go!" he said. "This is about me, isn't it? Not about her."  
"Oh, yes. It is about you. You and your kind. How dare you to demand freedom? How dare you to have the nerve to let us bow to you? You are slaves and you ever will be slaves." He looked at Alana. "And she is a skaa whore. She is even pregnant with a half-blood child." He spit into her face. "But I will be nice. I will free her from her dishonour. I will kill her and then I cut out the baby. I always wanted to know how an unborn baby looks like, especially when it is a half-blood." He grinned dirty.  
Dockson cried out in rage and tried to break free again. But the Thug held him tight. His futile attempt made the man laugh.  
"Why are you doing the dirty work for your brother?" Alana suddenly whispered. Obviously she had finally recognized the man. "He is just jealous that he couldn't have me."  
 _Don't anger him even more!_ Dockson pleaded silently. It took a moment until her word's meaning trickled through. _His brother? Whose brother? Poireen's or Mondo's brother?_  
"He didn't even have to ask me to do this. I totally agree with him."  
"He is using you. And you don't see it. He'll blame _you_ for the assault."  
"There won't be any witnesses to the assault. Because you'll be---"  
The door of the dining room burst open with a loud bang. The men turned surprised. Dockson felt a force pushing against his belt buckle. He was thrown back together with the Thug. They crashed into the wall. The Thug loosened his grip, groaning, and Dockson was able to break free.  
The other men were pushed back as well and crashed into the surrounding tables. A moment later Dockson could see why. Ash stood in the doorway. Coins shot in the direction of the other two men.  
 _Just in time!_ Dockson thought. He searched for Alana. She lay on the ground and didn't move. He ran over to her. She was barely conscious.  
"Pewter. I need more pewter," she whispered.  
Dockson looked up. Ash slit the throat of the leader in that moment. His lifeless body sank to the ground.  
"Ash, I need pewter!" he called to him.  
Ash loosened a small pouch from his belt and threw it to him. For a moment his eyes clung at his sister. Dockson could see fury rise in him. With an outcry Ash crashed into the Thug who approached him. Dockson opened the pouch and picked a bead out of it that looked like pewter and he hoped it really was some. He put it into Alana's mouth. She swallowed hard and coughed. Dockson looked around. He saw a cup still standing on one of the undamaged tables. He jumped to his feet and ran over. There was a dark liquid in it. He fetched the cup and returned to his wife.  
"I have no idea what it is but use it to swallow the bead." He held the cup to her lips.  
Alana sipped it and swallowed again. Slowly some colour returned to her face, but still she breathed weakly. She had her eyes closed now and he had no idea if she was still conscious.  
Suddenly it grew silent around him as the fighting sounds died down. Dockson looked up again. The room lay in ruins and Ash stood in the middle of it breathing heavily, his head hanging down. But Dockson knew it wasn't exhaustion. He guessed Ash tried to calm down. Finally the tall man raised his head and hurried over to him.  
"How is she?" he asked.  
"I have no idea. She has lost lots of blood but she is burning pewter again."  
Ash nodded. "She flares it. I can feel the pulsing. We need to bring her out of here."  
"She needs a healer."  
"I know. My father is on his way, but it will take him a couple more hours. I'm afraid the horses won't survive that." He tried to smile but failed. "Can you carry her?"  
Until that moment Dockson had ignored the pain in his body. But now it returned with almost overwhelming power. He shook his head.  
Ash nodded in understanding and lifted Alana carefully.  
   
They entered the sleeping room of their quarters. Ash laid his sister carefully down. She was definitely unconscious now.  
"I need boiled water," Ash said.  
Dockson dashed out of the room.  
Cautious he removed Alana's clothing. She had several small wounds bleeding heavily. _Coins! One of them must have been a Coinshot_ , Ash realized. He looked around. "Come on, Sis. Where is it? You always have your healing bag with you when you travel."  
Finally he spotted the bag next to the sideboard. He grabbed it and pulled out what he needed. Once again he was glad that his father had insisted that every guard had first aid training. And in Ash's case he had gone even further. He was a fully trained nurse because he often had needed an assistant when he had been out on the plantation, caring for the skaa. During his time as Kayla's guard Ash had assisted with many more operations. He knew how to treat wounds.  
Dockson returned with Winslow who carried a pot of water. Ash used it to clean the wounds. Carefully he removed the coins one by one and stitched the wounds. The last wound troubled him most. A coin had hit her belly. He took a deep breath and removed the coin. The wound started to bleed more. He could only hope that it hadn't damaged her chorion. He stopped the bleeding and stitched that wound as well.  
"How much pewter did you give her?" he asked while he sat back.  
"One bead," Dockson replied.  
"That's enough for another hour. But she needs more. She's still flaring it, even unconscious."  
Ash looked at Dockson. The man's face was discoloured and bloody. He didn't know how long he had been beaten but he could see him wince with every move. Most other men had already fallen unconscious but Dockson was still on his feet. _He worries for Ally_ , Ash realized.  
"Let me take care of your wounds," he said.  
"I'm fine."  
"No, you're not. Come on. Let me at least stitch the wounds in your face. Else we will have another unconscious patient soon."  
"I hope you have a numbing agent. I'm no Thug." Dockson tried to grin but it seemed odd in his swelling face.  
Ash snorted. He cleaned the wounds and stitched the one at his brow and another one under his eye. When he was done he grabbed for Dockson's ribs. The stocky man flinched.  
"Your ribs are broken. What about your arms?"  
"I'm fine." He broke free. "What about Ally?"  
Ash sighed and sat back again. "I don't know. She has lost lots of blood. I think she will survive it with her pewter but---" He closed his eyes. He didn't even want to think it, but he had to face reality. "I doubt the babies will make it," he added quietly. "It's not just the wound at her belly. She has lost too much blood. It would have killed a normal person already. The babies rely on her blood."  
Dockson let his head sink back against the wall and closed his eyes. Ash could see tears. Dockson had been so happy about the pregnancy. He hadn't been able to see Enya growing up, and now they took his unborn children away from him. Ash's anger returned with full power. He stood and looked down at his sister. With pale face she lay on the bed, breathing flatly. He saw her wounds and he saw her baby belly. He clenched his fists.  
"That bastards will pay!" he growled. He turned and was about to leave the room.  
"Ash!" Dockson's voice stopped him in the doorway. "Wait!"  
Ash turned again.  
Dockson looked at Winslow. "Open the upper drawer, please."  
Winslow turned and fetched a package out of the drawer.  
"Give it to him."  
The man handed the package to Ash.  
"Ally let them make for you. I think you could use them right now," Dockson said.  
Ash opened the package. It contained a pair of obsidian daggers. Obsidian was harder and sharper than normal glass. They wouldn't break as easily as his glass daggers. He unsheathed the glass daggers and sheathed the obsidian daggers instead. They fit perfectly.  
"Ash!"  
He looked at Dockson again and saw the pain in his face mixed with a thirst for revenge.  
"Let them suffer!"  
Ash nodded and left the room.  
   


### » 42 «

   
Carn packed a bag with the few things that were their own. They didn't have much. They never got paid and accordingly hadn't been able to buy things.  
"Lord Poireen will be angry when we run away," his wife said with trembling voice.  
"We don't run away. We are free. Lord and Lady Cowell reminded me of that. Lord Cowell was angry when he heard how we live. I could see it in his eyes."  
"How do you know he is different?"  
He paused and looked at her. "Lady Leary married him."  
"What if the things we heard about her are nothing but rumours. Rumours spread by people who just wanted to hope for a better life."  
"No. She _is_ different."  
"You don't know her."  
"She has turned down Lord Poireen when he proposed to her. Doesn't that mean something?"  
"Perhaps he just wasn't her type."  
"Her type? The nobility usually doesn't care about things like love. Marriage is about power and allies. She has a child from a lesser nobleman. After that scandal none of the higher nobility even considered to marry her despite her high station. But anyway she turned him down."  
"How can you be so sure that they really meant what they said?"  
Carn sighed. "During the ball I heard some of the other servants talk. They said that Lord Cowell is skaa. He was ennobled by the king in Luthadel after the Collapse." His wife fell silent and Carn laid his hand on her shoulder. "Every place is better than this one," he said softly.  
She nodded.  
They hurried through the corridors of the villa. Carn had shouldered his bag and his wife was carrying their three year old child.  
"What do you think where you are going to?"  
They froze. Carn swallowed. Lord Vreth Poireen stood in front of them, his hand resting on his dueling cane.  
"We are leaving, my lord," Carn replied.  
"Leaving? Do you really think they will take you in?"  
Carn frowned. What did he know about it? He looked at his wife who dropped her eyes. "Who did you tell?" he asked.  
"Only the head chef."  
"Fortunately some of your kind are loyal and not as deceitful as you are." He approached them slowly.  
"We are not deceitful. We are free to go. You don't owe us."  
He raised his eyebrows as if in surprise and with consternation. "I gave you a home, I fed you and you are telling me I don't owe you?" He thinned his eyes. "You ungrateful pack!"  
Carn swallowed even more. Fear got hold of his heart. There was something in the lord's eyes, something murderous.  
"However, go. But you will return, because they will not be there."  
"They are good people."  
"Good people?" Poireen laughed. "I tell you what they are. They are _dead_ people!"  
Carn frowned confused. "What are you talking about?"  
"What are you talking about, _my lord_!" Vreth thinned his eyes again, but fell back in his nonchalant manner a second later. "I am afraid I have to tell you that they are already dead given that an assassination team assaulted them this morning."  
Carn gasped in shock. "You let them kill? Why?" A moment later he added, "My lord."  
"Why? Because skaa are slaves and _I_ don't bow to slaves."  
"You had no right!" Carn snapped, but his courage wavered already.  
"No right?" He raised his eyebrows again in surprise. "It seems I have to remind you of _who_ you are talking to." Lord Poireen suddenly grabbed the child and pulled it out of its mother's arms. She cried out in shock. He handed the girl to one of the two guards who accompanied him. "Follow me!" he ordered.  
They didn't have a choice but following him. Lord Poireen headed for his private quarters. Carn was confused. Why did they go to his quarters? Suddenly it hit him. He stopped. "No!"  
Vreth didn't even turn. The second guard jostled Carn forward and they entered the rooms of the lord.  
"I don't kill you, not yet at least," Lord Poireen said with calm voice. "I am even grateful. You may watch." He met Carn's eyes, smiling. "And before you even think of interrupting me, my guard will not hesitate to kill your daughter." He nodded at his man who pulled out a knife and held it at the girl's throat.  
Carn winced. The second guard stepped behind him and drew his sword.  
Lord Poireen smiled viciously at Carn. Then he turned and looked at Carn's wife. "Strip!" he ordered.  
She took a step backward, terribly afraid. But she didn't follow his order.  
"I said strip! Or would you like to watch your daughter die?"  
Her eyes widened in panic. Shivering she undressed until she was completely naked. Then she wrapped her arms around herself.  
Poireen eyed her from head to toe, a smug grin in his face. "I didn't know that I have such a beauty amongst my servants. You hid your body well. It would have been a shame to kill you right after. But with the Lord Ruler gone I don't have to kill you. Be honoured. You'll be my first skaa mistress." His grin broadened.  
He pulled her over to the bed and pushed her on it. He opened his trousers and climbed onto her. With his knee he spread her legs forcibly and then he pushed himself into her. She screamed.  
Carn wanted to help her but he couldn't. Her felt the sword in his back and his daughter cried in the arms of the other guard. Hatred grew in him, hatred and terrible helplessness.  
   


### » 43 «

   
He headed for the private quarters of the inn, first. With pewter enhanced strength he simply kicked the door open. A woman cried out in surprise.  
"Where is he?" he demanded.  
"Please, don't hurt him," the woman pleaded, fear in her eyes.  
"You should have thought about it before you planned to assassinate my sister," Ash growled.  
He heard a sound from the adjacent room and dashed over. He found Harsworth there, hiding behind the bed. Ash grabbed the man's hair and pulled him up. The he pulled him over to the other room and pushed him into a chair.  
He turned to the woman. "Out!" he ordered.  
"Please!" she pleaded again.  
"Out, or you'll join him."  
Her eyes widened and she hurried out of the room without another pleading. _Her loyalty ends fast, interesting_ , Ash thought. He Pulled at and then Pushed against the metal in the door and the door fell shut behind her. He turned to Harsworth who still sat in the chair, trembling from fear. He pulled him up again and pressed him against the wall, with one hand at his throat.  
"Okay, first you are going to answer some questions. Oh, and do me a favour, refuse your cooperation. That would be much more fun," he said, a dangerous tone in his voice. "Who else was involved in the plot?"  
"It was Poireen's idea," Harsworth whimpered.  
"I already know that." He twisted the man's wrist until he heard a cracking sound. Harsworth screamed. "Who else?"  
"I don't know."  
"Oh, you actually have fighting spirit. How nice of you!" The other wrist broke. Again the nobleman screamed in pain.  
"Houses Flatlay and Welida," he replied whining.  
"Who were the assassins?"  
"Vreth Poireen's brother Delan leads the group."  
"Who else?" Ash twisted one of the broken wrists. The man screamed again.  
"Densha Flatlay, cousin to the House. He is a Pewterarm. And Soren Flatlay, heir to the house."  
"The Coinshot?"  
"Miska Welida, cousin to House Welida."  
"They were five. Who was the last?"  
"My nephew Brinn."  
"Well, then I have bad news for you. Your nephew is dead. And so are the others."  
Harsworth gasped.  
"One last question." Ash moved his face close to that of Harsworth. "Why?"  
"Why?" Harsworth seemed to be astonished about the question. "Because he is skaa!"  
"You call _that_ an explanation?" He let him go, but at the same time twisted the broken wrist again. Harsworth fell to his knees, screaming. "Let me repeat my question. Why?"  
"Skaa shouldn't marry noblewomen. They are no members of the nobility. Noblemen shouldn't bow to them." Ash saw defiance in his face.  
"In contemplation of death you still feel no remorse?"  
"Remorse? For what?" Harsworth's voice grew stronger. "For wanting to put the skaa back to their place? Skaa shouldn't lead, they shall serve to us."  
Ash's anger grew hotter. "Why did you try to kill Alana?"  
"She is a skaa whore!" Harsworth spat to the ground.  
Ash didn't even think. He just reacted. With a short but hard twist he broke the man's neck. Harsworth's lifeless body dropped to the ground.  
   
***  
   
He felt dizzy and leaned back. For a moment Dockson closed his eyes and tried to breathe deeply, but it hurt too much. He flinched. As long as he didn't move he could ignore the pain. He knew some of his ribs were broken and he had dozens of bruises. He guessed his body wouldn't look much different than when he had been hit by the koloss. But he lived and those bastards were dead. It was a cold comfort.  
He looked down at the bed again. There she lay, dreadfully pale. He had given her a few more beads of pewter with wine. She had swallowed the pewter despite her unconsciousness. A blanket covering her hid her wounds but her already clearly visible baby belly was noticeable underneath it. He wanted to touch it but he couldn't. He was terribly afraid, afraid to lose her and to lose their unborn children. Instead he took her hand. It was cold and clammy.  
"You should rest, Lord Dockson."  
Dockson turned his head and looked at Winslow. He had almost forgotten that the man was with him in the room. He always merged with the background as if not present, but available whenever she needed him. The perfect servant. He was incredibly loyal to her. But Winslow was a man full of secrets. No one really knew him, but everyone trusted him. They hadn't even known that he was married to a woman in Luthadel. No wonder he had been eager to join his mistress when she returned to the capitol. Alana didn't understand why he hadn't told her. And he hadn't explained it well. Not in Dockson's opinion. But anyway, she trusted him.  
Finally he shook his head. "I can rest later. I'll stay with her until Lord Brandon arrives."  
"I can stay with her. I can wake you if something changes."  
Again he shook his head. "No offense, but you can't protect her."  
"With all due respect, my lord, but you neither. Not in your current condition."  
Dockson frowned. Winslow was right. Even shaking his head cost him strength and he had to swallow the pain. But still he didn't want to leave her. He liked Winslow but his trust in the man didn't go far enough.  
"How long does it take by horse to Curafal?" Dockson asked.  
"It depends," he said. "I am sure they will ride the horses hard. Perhaps a couple hours, perhaps a day, I don't know. I have no knowledge of a person who did that already."  
Dockson sighed. "Is there no healer in Curafal?"  
"It is. But do you trust another healer after what happened?"  
No, he didn't trust other healers. Not after the events short before. The night before they had bowed at them, had talked to them, had even laughed to them. And this morning they had sent assassins to kill them. They hadn't been from only one house, he was sure. Those men were the kind of nobility he had always hated, people he had put on the same level with Alana less than a year ago. He swallowed hard. There were differences, he knew now. The nobility was no different to skaa. There were skaa who were cold-blooded cutthroats and there were skaa who were like his friend's wife Mardra, peaceable and kind. And so was it among the nobility. There were monsters and there were people like Alana.  
Dockson watched his wife, fear clasping his heart. "How long do you know her?" he asked Winslow eventually.  
"Lady Alana? Since her birth."  
"Did you serve under Lord Devinshae?"  
He shook his head. "I was born in Luthadel. I followed Lord Brandon to South Searan when he left."  
"Why haven't you told her about your wife?" He met the man's eyes. "I want to know the true story."  
Winslow kept quiet for a moment. "We haven't been married back then," he finally said. "She was married to another man. We were having an affair."  
Dockson frowned. "What happened to her husband?"  
"He died the night of the revolution."  
"Why then did you tell Alana that you have been married to her back then already?"  
"I was having an _affair_. I am not proud of it. I said it because her child is mine."  
Dockson eyed him. Affairs were quite uncommon among the skaa. If a skaa took the bond of matrimony it _was_ binding. There was no cheating. That was one of the reasons most of the men in lesser thieving crews didn't marry. He sighed.  
"Prepare the carriage," he finally said. "We will leave as soon as possible. And look out for a skaa named Carn. We had an appointment. He will return with us to the plantation."  
Winslow nodded and left him alone.  
   


### » 44 «

   
One of the two guards in front of the large villa yawned. He leaned on his spear.  
"Another hour and we will be changed," his companion said.  
"Fortunately," the first one replied and yawned once more. "Have you been at the ball last night?"  
The man nodded.  
"Anything happened there?"  
"Hum, besides the usual?" He shrugged. "Well, actually, yes. Remember Lord Leary's daughter, the healer?"  
"Lady Alana? Of course. She treated me two years ago when I had that awful coughing. Barres couldn't help me but she did."  
"Oh, yeah. I remember your coughing. I barely could stand the guard with you." He laughed.  
"What about her?"  
"She was there, with her husband. And she was definitely pregnant."  
"Is it true that he is skaa?"  
The man shrugged. "I doubt a skaa behaves so properly or can dance as well as him. He danced like someone who is used to dancing since several years already." He shook his head. "I think he is a nobleman. And all the skaa rumours are really just rumours. I mean, he can't be skaa. Remember Lady Alana's daughter? The bastard child?"  
His companion nodded.  
"The name of her husband is Cowell. And if I remember right, the name of the father is Cowell too. That means he probably is the father or at least some relative of her daughter. And that couldn't be if he were skaa."  
"True. However," the first one said and looked around to make sure that no one was listening. "I'm sure Lord Vreth is pissed."  
"I still don't understand why she turned him down. She would have made a good Lady Poireen."  
The first man nodded again.  
Ash smiled. He crouched on the rooftop of the building across the street and listened into the conversation with tin. He dropped a coin and shot through the air, landing right between the two men. With a Push at their weapons their spears shot away. They were clever enough not to hold onto them. But it made them stumble at least. They drew their swords.  
"Don't!" Ash warned. "I don't want to kill you."  
"Who are you?" the first man asked.  
"I am Lady Alana's brother," he said.  
Surprised the men shared a look.  
"I know you were talking about her a minute ago. To answer your question, she turned him down because he tortures skaa and she condemns him for that. Her own daughter is half skaa." He smiled at the confused faces. "Yes, I listened. Tin is a wonderful metal if you can burn it."  
The eyes of the men snapped wide-open. "You are Mistborn," one of them noted, gasping in shock.  
Ash just nodded. "I am here for Lord Vreth."  
"As a visitor or . . ." The guard didn't finish.  
"I'm going to kill him," he replied bluntly.  
The men swallowed. They raised their swords again, uncertain.  
"I told you I don't want to kill you," Ash said softly. "Do you really want to stand for a man who tried to kill my sister just an hour ago? And who probably killed her unborn children with his assault?"  
The guard who had been at the ball lowered his sword. "But he didn't leave the house today."  
"No, he sent his brother instead."  
"But why?"  
"Why would Vrath Poireen try to kill Alana _Cowell_?" he gave the question back.  
"Because she turned him down and married another man instead, a skaa," the other guard guessed.  
Ash nodded.  
Now that man lowered his sword as well. Ash met the eyes of the two men. He saw sincere disgust. They wouldn't interfere with him.  
"Where is he right now?"  
"At this time of the day usually in his study, upper floor. There is a balcony in front of it, to the Southwest."  
Ash dropped a coin and launched himself into the air. He searched the balcony and found it easily. He dropped another coin and Pushed, at the same time using a lamp at the balcony to Pull himself into an arch. Easily he landed on the balcony. He burned tin to look into the darkness of the room. The study was empty. Ash frowned. Had the men told him the wrong location to delay him or did Poireen deviate from his agenda?  
He looked around and spotted another balcony. He dropped a coin and Pushed himself upwards. He used the railing of the other balcony to change his jump into an arch. He landed in a crouch on the other balcony. But the room behind the doors was empty as well. Ash growled. To his right was a third balcony. Again he used a coin and the railing to jump to it.  
Ash spotted several people in the room. A man, probably a guard, held a sword at the back of a servant, judging from the clothing. They looked into the same direction. While the guard showed an expression of disgust the servant seemed in pain. Another man, who stood with his back to the balcony doors, held a child and according to the way he held his arm he held something against the child's throat. But Ash couldn't see what from his spot. Likewise he couldn't see the target of their attention. Ash switched to the other side of the balcony doors.  
The man with the servant looked at the doors. He probably had seen his shadow. Ash kept out of sight, peeking into the other half of the room. A large bed filled most of that part. A woman lay in the bed, pinned to the mattress by the man above her. The woman's face was pure pain. Suddenly Ash understood what was going on.  
Ash wanted to burst into the room immediately, but he remembered the two guards holding the child and the man, probably the woman's family. He clenched his teeth, barely controlling his anger. The problem was the man with the child. He stood with his back to him and he had no idea what would happen when he Pushed the door open. The man could turn with the child but he could as well simply cut its throat. The whole situation was hard to control. Even if the man near the door turned, he would have to Pull at the weapons of both guards. The man with the child was too close for such a manoeuvre. He wouldn't be able to dodge the weapon, not with the few training he had with Pulling and Pushing.  
 _If I could distract them._ Ash looked up. The roof was domed and thereby not useful to stand on it. _I don't need a rooftop_ , he thought and smiled. He dropped three coins in a triangle, stepped into the middle and Pushed at all three at once. He shot upwards. He stopped Pushing until he came to halt, then he Pushed just a bit to keep himself in position. Now he flipped a coin against the glass of the balcony doors.  
   
Carn clenched his teeth. He felt impotent anger. It was the second time that Poireen raped his wife. She had stopped crying and now just lay there and let everything happen to her. He looked at his daughter. She had stopped crying as well and just stared into space, traumatised. It made him even angrier than her crying before. But there was nothing he could do. The guard would kill her immediately. He closed his eyes.  
A sudden sound from metal against glass let Carn look up. The guard behind him tensed. The other guard turned to the balcony doors. The men shared a look. While Carn's guard stepped closer and held his sword at his throat now, the one with the girl opened the doors carefully. He stepped outside and walked to the railing. He leaned over and looked down. He shook his head and turned again to go back into the room.  
In that moment something fell from the sky, no, someone, a man. Carn stared at him in disbelief, and so did the guard who held his daughter. The tall man grabbed for the child and pulled it out of the guard's arms. Without that the newcomer even touched the man, the guard was thrown backwards and fell over the railing, screaming while he fell.  
For a second Carn stared at the tall man in awe. Then he realized his chance. His own guard was distracted by the danger coming from outside. His elbow crashed into the guard's stomach. The man groaned. He tried to raise his sword against Carn but in that moment it was yanked out of his hands towards the balcony. A second later the guard was thrown backwards against the wall.  
The newcomer stood in the balcony doorway, tall and beefy, like a god, but gently holding the girl in his arms. He looked at him, a kind expression in his face. Carn immediately knew he had nothing to fear from that man. Then the man turned his look at Lord Poireen and his face darkened. The lord had grabbed Carn's wife and used her as shield.  
"Get the child," the tall man said, glancing at Carn.  
He hurried over to him and the man handed him his daughter. The girl wrapped her arms around his neck, hiding her face at his throat. "Please, she is my wife," he said.  
The man looked at him. "Don't worry," he replied. "He will never touch her again."  
A sudden thud let Carn turn. The guard slid down the wall again, obviously Pushed against it another time. "You're a Misting," he said with awe.  
"No," the man replied. "Mistborn."  
Carn shied away from him.  
"You have nothing to fear. I came for him. But stay away from the door. There will be reinforcements coming soon."  
Carn ducked with his daughter behind a sideboard. He had never seen a Mistborn fight but he had heard stories. And the last place where he wanted to be now was between a Mistborn and his combatants.  
The man turned back to Poireen. "So this is the famous Vreth Poireen. I'd never expected to see you hiding behind a woman," he said, folding his arms.  
"Who are you? And what do you want?" Poireen snapped.  
"I am your personal angel of _death_."  
The lord frowned. "I don't understand."  
"Perhaps I should help you along then. My name is Ash _Leary_ and you tried to kill my _sister_ this morning."  
Carn perked up. _Leary?_ Now he was completely convinced that he had nothing to fear from that man. And didn't he say that Lord Poireen _tried_ to kill his sister? Did that mean Lady Alana was alive? Hope sprouted in him again. But still Lord Poireen held his wife captive, using her as human shield.  
"Let the woman go."  
"That you can kill me? I am not stupid."  
"I will kill you anyway. You're just delaying the inevitable."  
A moment later the door burst open and several men stormed into the room. All wore standard armour, metal as Carn realized. _Big mistake_ , he thought. The men flew through the air immediately, some out of the door again and others into the wall.  
One of the guards charged Lord Leary. He had taken off his armour and sword. The Mistborn jumped upwards. The hardwood dueling cane of the guard hit only the air underneath him. The lord landed behind the guard, grabbed his collar and hissed, "If you want to live, leave now! He isn't worth to die for."  
He pushed him away. But the guard didn't back off. Together with another guard he charged him again. It made Lord Leary grimace. He pulled out a pair of black daggers and sliced the first man's belly in a single swing and then pushed one of his daggers into the neck of the other.  
"You are _not_ the target," he growled as a third guard charged him.  
Carn realized that the man didn't want to kill the guards. Anyway, he suddenly felt an overwhelming fear he couldn't understand. The girl in his arms started to cry again. Most of the attacking men left the room. Confused Carn looked at Lord Leary. _He is manipulating our emotions,_ Carn thought. _That's why I fear him out of a sudden._  
The guard who had charged the Mistborn didn't stop and so he was killed like his companions before. Now the remaining men fled too. The room grew quiet.  
Lord Leary glanced at Carn. He nodded at him to show him that he was fine. The lord nodded back and then turned to Lord Poireen again.  
"Where did we stop when we got interrupted?" he asked. "Ah, I remember. We were talking about you being killed by me. Would you be so kind and let the woman go now?"  
Lord Poireen just pulled her closer, his arm around her throat.  
"Do you really think you are fast enough to kill her?" Lord Leary asked.  
"You haven't attacked yet. I guess you don't want to risk it."  
The Mistborn laughed. "Very well, then," he said finally. "Let's talk first. I have some questions anyway."  
"I just wanted to teach her a lesson. She wasn't supposed to be killed," Lord Poireen suddenly called out.  
"Is that so? Well, you should have told your _late_ brother then."  
Poireen perked up. "My brother is dead?"  
"Yes. I decided to cut his throat after he tried to do the same with my sister."  
Carn saw disappointment in Vreth's eyes but no hint of grief. Obviously he didn't have an emotional connection to his brother. Carn had barely seen them together in past. But he knew they shared their disdain for the skaa. And they both had been particularly cruel to the skaa servants. Lord Delan was no loss.  
"By the way, your whole assassination team is dead. Guess they didn't expect resistance. Happens, if you don't know who you're attacking."  
Now Lord Vreth frowned confused and so did Carn.  
"You have no idea who Lord Cowell is, haven't you?"  
"He is skaa, that's enough for me to know."  
"Well, perhaps you should have obtained some information about him first." Lord Leary smiled. "He isn't just a simple skaa like your servants or your plantation skaa."  
Vreth dismissed his comment, his usual arrogance shining through in his eyes despite his half naked appearance. "I already know that he was the Luthadel king's advisor, a bureaucrat." He almost spat the last word.  
"Yes, _after_ the Collapse but _before_ he was core member of the crew that toppled the Lord Ruler."  
Carn perked up. _That means he must be a member of the Survivor's crew_. And that man had invited him to work for him? Carn suddenly felt honoured.  
Lord Poireen seemed uncomfortable now. _You have tried to kill one of the most powerful men in the Final Empire. They have killed the Lord Ruler and you tried to kill him._ Carn almost laughed.  
Lord Vreth laughed out loud. But there was a tremble to hear as well. _You are afraid. Good._ Carn smiled.  
"Rumours! A simple skaa could never kill a god," Vreth said.  
"Well, you might think those are rumours. But he survived your assault. And he isn't even an Allomancer. That should make you rethink."  
"Anyway, he has no right to call himself nobleman. And he has no right to marry a noblewoman."  
Carn perked up again. _He is jealous,_ he realized. _She chose to marry a skaa instead of him._  
"Oh, trust me. He'd never call himself a nobleman." Lord Leary grinned. "And about Alana, you think she turned you down and fell instead in love with him? You're _wrong_. She turned you down _because_ of him!"  
 _She turned you down because of him._ The words echoed in Carn's head. Something bothered him about it. Then it hit him. _She turned him down a couple years ago. The Lord Ruler was still alive back then. That means she was in love with a skaa despite the proscription._ He remembered the scandal her child had caused. She had born the child of a lesser nobleman without being married. _The child of a lesser nobleman? Her daughter must be his. That means she is a half-blood. That could have gotten her killed._ His admiration for the woman grew even more.  
Carn saw hatred rising in Lord Poireen's eyes. He looked at Lord Leary who smiled satisfied. _He made the same conclusion I did. You told him on purpose._ _You are_ provoking _him_.  
"They are alive?" Lord Vreth suddenly asked.  
Lord Leary nodded.  
"Then you have no reason to kill me."  
The Mistborn laughed, but it wasn't a friendly laugh. Suddenly he jumped at Lord Poireen with an incredible speed. He pulled Carn's wife free and pushed her away from him. She fell to the ground.  
Carn set his daughter down and hurried to his wife.  
"Arja, are you all right?"  
She looked up at him, terrible pain in her face. It twisted his stomach.  
"I'm so sorry," he whispered. He helped her to her feet again and led her to their daughter, embracing both of them in a safe distance to the lord.  
"Now, let's talk about that again," Lord Leary said. "Tell me one reason why I shouldn't kill you!"  
"Your sister is alive, you said it yourself."  
"It doesn't change the fact that you _tried_ to kill her."  
"It wasn't just me."  
Despite the fact that he stood there without pants, Lord Poireen managed to stand proud, maintaining an air of arrogance. It let Carn's anger return.  
"I give you a reason to kill him. He raped my wife and let my daughter watch," he shouted.  
Lord Leary nodded solemnly. "That was just the last nail to his coffin." He addressed Vreth again. "However, I know that it wasn't just you. Lord Harsworth and Lord Welida paid already."  
"You killed them?"  
"I had to. You didn't leave me a choice."  
"You can't blame me for their mistakes."  
"No? I had the impression that you led the plot, you incited it."  
"Just, because those cowards didn't have the guts to do it alone."  
Carn didn't see a motion but he saw something small reflecting the sunlight for a split second. A moment later Lord Poireen cried out in pain and held his thigh, blood trickling through his fingers.  
"Oops," Lord Leary just said.  
"We should have sent someone to kill your father too," Lord Vreth growled. "For letting his skaa bastard live."  
Again he cried out. Now his other thigh bled from a small wound. _Coins_ , Carn realized _. He is throwing coins at him._  
Poireen tried to ignore the wounds and stood proud, now openly showing hatred in his eyes. "Kill me. I will die with the thought that at least I let one of you suffer just moments before." He glanced at the woman. "She'll never forget me. And perhaps she's even pregnant with my own bastard." He smiled satisfied.  
"I hate to disappoint you, but there are ways to prevent a pregnancy without killing the woman." Lord Leary smiled and turned to Carn. "What's your name?"  
"Carn."  
"And your wife's?"  
"Arja."  
The Mistborn nodded. "Arja?" he called her.  
Slowly she raised her head, meeting his eyes.  
"Is there something _you_ would like to tell him or perhaps _do_ to him?"  
For a moment she didn't reply, but then she said, "I'd like to chop it off."  
Lord Leary winced and so did Carn. The thought alone was painful.  
The Mistborn finally nodded. "Feel free."  
"He'll grab me again, when I come close," she said.  
"Then we should prevent that." He turned to Carn. "Would you be so nice and strip the armour from one of the guards?"  
Carn frowned but stood and took the armour of the guard who had dropped it before he had charged the Mistborn. Lord Leary smiled approvingly.  
"Throw it to him."  
The armour landed to the feet of Lord Poireen.  
Lord Leary turned back to the nobleman. "Put it on."  
"No!"  
He cried out again when another coin hit him in his thigh. Now he was bleeding from three coin wounds.  
"You have two choices. Do what I say and hope that your men gather their courage and will save you. Or don't do what I say and I'll let you bleed to death before they can do so."  
The lord clenched his teeth. Finally he grabbed the armour and put it on. The moment he fastened the thigh protection he was thrown backwards into the wall. He groaned loudly. But he didn't fall to the ground. It seemed as if he was pinned to the wall. Lord Leary didn't even show a sign of effort.  
"Now he can't grab you," he told Arja.  
The knife of one of the fallen man to the Mistborn's feet skidded to her. She took it and rose. Despite her nakedness she held her head high when she approached Lord Poireen. First he didn't take her serious but the closer she came to him the more terror Carn could see in his face. He tried to break free but he was pinned to the wall.  
Arja stopped in front of Lord Poireen, staring at him. Carn couldn't see her expression but she stood proud.  
"Wait!" Lord Leary suddenly called. He turned to Carn. "Bring the girl out on the balcony and cover her ears."  
Carn nodded, grabbed his daughter and hurried out. He closed the balcony doors and knelt down. He pressed her to his chest and covered her ears. It took a few more minutes until he heard the terrible screaming of the lord. He flinched. The screaming went on for a minute and then suddenly stopped.  
A couple minutes later the balcony doors opened and the Mistborn stepped out, followed by Arja. She was dressed now and rushed into Carn's arms, tears running down her face.  
"He is dead," Lord Leary said. "You should leave. I can't guarantee for your safety in here."  
"We were on our way out when Lord Poireen caught us. Lord Cowell told me to meet him at the Harsworth Inn."  
Surprised the Mistborn raised his eyebrows. "You know him?"  
"I met him at the ball last night."  
Lord Leary nodded. "Go to the inn but keep low. They both got wounded during the attack. I don't know what the situation there is right now. Wait there for me. I will be there when I'm finished."  
"When you're finished?"  
"Four noble houses were involved in the attack. Three noblemen are dead, one more to go."  
Carn nodded but then paused. "We can't just jump down the balcony like you."  
Lord Leary smiled apologetic. "You're right. I'll bring you out."  
   
   


### » 45 «

   
Dockson awoke with a start. He had dozed off. It was almost dark outside already as he could see through the window. Voices came from the other room. He grabbed his dagger. The door opened and Lord Brandon entered the room. He was followed by Xern and Purill as well as Jenno. Purill gasped in shock when he saw him.  
"Do I look so bad?" Dockson asked and sheathed his dagger.  
"Have you looked in a mirror lately?"  
He shook his head what he immediately regretted. Pain shot through his body. He grimaced.  
"How did that happen?" Purill asked.  
"Someone used me as a punching bag."  
"What is the status?" Lord Brandon interrupted them while checking his daughter.  
"Ash cared for Ally's wounds but she has lost lots of blood. She is burning pewter permanently. Ash said she flares it."  
"Good. Has Ash cared for your wounds as well?"  
"I'm fine."  
Lord Brandon looked at him and frowned. "No, you aren't."  
"Please, look after Ally and the babies."  
The lord sighed but nodded and went on to examine his daughter. Finally he paused at the coin wound at her belly. Dockson didn't like the expression in his face.  
"Did that wound bleed more than the others?" he asked.  
"I don't think so. But I'm not sure."  
"Did Ash stitch it first?"  
"No, it was the last one."  
"Then it didn't bleed more than the others. He would have started with this one else."  
"How is she?"  
Brandon hesitated. "Critical. She is not out of the woods yet," he said quietly.  
Dockson winced. "What about the babies?" It cost him quite an effort to ask.  
Lord Brandon met his eyes and shook his head. "Their heartbeats are very faint. I don't think they will make it. She has lost too much blood. I am sorry."  
Dockson felt a stab. He didn't fight his tears.  
"Let me check you as well."  
"I'm fine."  
Lord Brandon simply raised his eyebrows. His eyes insisted on obedience. Dockson knew it was useless to discuss. Those healers could be pretty stubborn, especially the Leary ones as he had experienced more than once with Alana. He took his suit, vest and shirt off.  
Purill grimaced again.  
"Lie down on the bed," Brandon ordered.  
Dockson lay down next to his wife. He carefully turned his head and looked at her. Her eyes were closed and she was dreadfully pale. _You have to survive!_ he pleaded silently. _I need you! Enya needs you!_  
Brandon checked the stitched wounds in his face first. He nodded pleased. Then he turned to his chest. Dockson groaned when he put pressure on certain points.  
"Three of your ribs are broken, but they haven't split as it seems. Have you coughed blood?"  
"No."  
"Breathing problems?"  
"Only when I try to take a deep breath."  
"Caused by your broken ribs." He nodded. "Your lung is intact."  
"Sounds good."  
Brandon palpated his abdomen. It hurt. "Do you feel any pain beside the initial? I mean, beside the pain from the bruises?"  
"No."  
"Good. Your abdomen is soft, but I'll recheck that in an hour. For the moment it seems that you have no internal wounds."  
"It's not the first beating I survived," Dockson said. "Guess my body is used to it by now."  
Brandon frowned at the comment. "I'll give you some painkiller for your ribs and a salve against the bruises. You should cut down for a couple weeks."  
"Again." Dockson grimaced. He stood and got dressed again. Purill had to help him with the sleeves.  
"Where is Ash?" Brandon suddenly asked.  
Dockson looked at Alana instead of at him. "He's doing what I'd like to do," he said quietly, hatred swinging in his voice.  
Brandon sighed and nodded. "Harsworth is dead. I suspect he was only the beginning."  
"We should leave the inn as soon as possible. This place isn't safe. And we don't know what will happen when Ash is done. Do you think we can transport her in the carriage?" Dockson asked.  
"Reluctantly!"  
"We should return to the planation."  
Brandon nodded. "Provide her with a constant supply of pewter. We will leave as soon as Ash returns."  



	10. Chapter 3 - Part 4

### » 46 «

   
The mists obscured the building. Guards patrolled around it. Ash guessed that they were more men than usual. It seemed that news about his previous encounters had finally spread. But it wouldn't hold him back. He had simply waited for the mists to hide him.  
With the appearing mists he could see rising tensions among the guards. None of them started to shake what meant that they already had been out. But still they obviously were afraid.  
He burned iron and searched for an anchor at the building. Moving blue lines told him were guards walked. _They still wear metal_ , he wondered. _They really aren't used to fight Mistborn._ He found a thicker blue line. Carefully he Pulled on it, testing its stability. Ash burned steel and dropped a coin. He Pushed against it and shot upwards, then he Pulled on his anchor at the building. He was jerked forward. Releasing the anchor, his trajectory changed into an arch. Using another anchor he slowed his fall and landed softly on the rooftop.  
Ash felt the still warm stone beneath his toes. He didn't wear shoes to be stealthier. He crouched and looked over the edge. The problem was he didn't know the building. Balconies were a good place to start but he could see guards on each. _They know that I entered through the balconies at Mansion Poireen and Welida._  
Fortunately he had trained at home with Pulling and Pushing along the manor. He had jumped from window to window, once getting trouble with his sister because he had peeked into her sleeping room while they were in bed. Since that day she closed the curtains. The memory made him smile but it evaporated when he remembered her current condition.  
 _Don't you dare to die, Sis!_ He hadn't told Dockson how critical her state was. He wasn't sure if Alana would survive. Even with pewter a human body could only endure a limited amount of blood loss. And he had seen the large blood pool in the dining hall.  
Ash dropped a coin and stepped over the edge. He Pushed until his weight was balanced and he stood mid-air, then he descended slowly. Burning tin he checked the windows. Fortunately he knew how Flatlay looked like. His daughter, Lady Olean, had been terribly sick and Ash had accompanied Alana when she treated the young woman. That knowledge made him even angrier. How could the man try to kill her after she had saved his daughter?  
Some of the rooms were occupied but none with Flatlay. He Pushed himself onto the rooftop again and repeated the procedure at the next row of windows. It took a couple more rows until he found him. He sat in a small dining room accompanied by his daughter and two guards.  
Ash could have waited until he was alone, but he was tired. He didn't know if his sister was still alive and he wanted to go home. But he couldn't until he was done. He searched for a metal source he could use as an anchor. Pulling at the stained-glass window alone would pull him against the window because the window was heavier. He needed something that gave him more weight. Finally he decided to use two anchors. Ash burned pewter to strengthen his body and then burned iron. He Pulled at the anchors and the window at the same time.  
The window offered more resistance than he had expected. But finally he heard a cracking sound and the window burst free. He let it go and Pushed at his coin to gain height. The window fell to the ground and shattered. Ash knew that it would alarm the guards, but he didn't really care. He dropped again and then Pushed against his anchors. He shot forward and landed inside the room.  
A guard attacked him immediately. He was wearing armour. Ash sighed and Pushed against him. The man crashed into the wall and fell to the ground, unconscious. A second guard attacked him. He didn't wear armour but the sword he was swinging was steel. Ash Pulled and then immediately Pushed against the sword. Given that the man held it with both hands he was thrown off balance. The guard let the sword go and Ash Pulled. The sword was jerked into his direction and he caught it. A moment later he held its blade against the throat of the man. The man closed his eyes awaiting his death.  
Ash simply shook his head. "Stand up."  
Surprised the guard stood.  
"Get out and tell your companions they should stay out when they want to live. They won't stop me anyway." He gave point to his words with a combined Rioting and Soothing.  
The guard withdrew carefully. When he reached the door he dashed out.  
Ash turned to Lord Flatlay. His daughter hid behind him, trembling from fear. "Very well, then. You are the last on my list."  
The lord frowned. "I know you. You are Lady Leary's guard."  
"Actually, I'm her brother. And yes, we have met, the day when my sister saved your daughter's life." His voice had a dangerous undertone. He stepped closer. "Tell me why! She saved your daughter!" he hissed.  
"I don't understand." The confusion in the lord's eyes seemed real.  
Ash growled. "You tried to kill her! She and her husband were attacked this morning by _your_ assassination team."  
"What?" Lady Olean shied away from her father. "That's where Soren and Densha went this morning?"  
"Yes. No!" Lord Flatlay looked from Ash to his daughter and back. "They were sent to attack them but Lady Leary wasn't supposed to get harmed. It was just about _him_. We never intended to kill her, not even hurt her."  
"Then tell me, why is she lying in her bed now, barely alive?" Ash spat. "Perhaps she already died from her wounds!" His voice quivered from anger.  
Lord Flatlay looked aghast. Again his shock seemed to be sincere. He sat down, staring at the table.  
The door burst open and guards entered the room.  
Lord Flatlay jerked his head up. "Stop!" he called to Ash's surprise.  
The guards paused.  
"Out!" Lord Flatlay ordered.  
The guards wavered.  
"I said out!" the lord repeated.  
The guards withdrew, reluctantly.  
Ash narrowed his eyes. He was as confused as the guards.  
Lord Flatlay turned back to him. He took a deep breath. "I know you have killed Poireen, Harsworth and Welida already. I know you are here to kill me too. But I didn't know. You have to believe me. She was never meant to be harmed." He closed his eyes for a second. "I have never beaten my skaa, I have always respected that they are living beings who serve me well. But I don't bow to a skaa. They are supposed to serve us not to rule us. We were angry when we heard about Lady Alana's husband. He has the nerve to call himself lord and to put his station above us, simply because he served a king."  
Ash shook his head. "He never _served_ King Venture, he worked with him. He and his friends _made_ him king and now emperor."  
Lord Flatlay's eyes widened. "The only men who have that kind of power are the men who have slain the Lord Ruler." He swallowed. "Are you telling me he is one of them?"  
"Yes."  
"But he is skaa."  
"They all are skaa."  
"You tried to kill them because he is skaa?" Lady Olean asked appalled.  
"We wanted to kill _him_. We wanted to set a sign for the other skaa. We wanted to show them that we might accept their freedom but we will not accept when they try to rule us. Lady Alana was never meant to be harmed."  
"But she loves him!" she said. "How can you expect her not to be harmed when you kill the man she loves? How would you feel if someone kills Mom?"  
Slowly Ash's anger decreased. He was downright confused. All other men had shown arrogance and self-righteousness. Even in the eye of death they had been disparaging. But there was one difference between the men he suddenly realized. Poireen, Harsworth and Welida had never accepted the new skaa freedom; Harsworth and Welida had sent their skaa away instead of paying them. Poireen had even continued as before including torturing his skaa. Flatlay never had mistreated his skaa; at least not as far as he knew. And he knew that Alana respected the man.  
Just in case he turned off his copper and burned bronze to check if Lady Olean was Rioting or Soothing him despite his coppercloud. No pulsing came from her nor from her father. He burned copper again.  
"You can't compare them with your mother and me," Lord Flatlay replied, but Ash could hear uncertainty.  
"I can," she said. "Unlike you _I_ have met them yesterday. I have seen her eyes when she looked at him. And I have seen the way he looked at _her_!" Lady Olean's voice sounded angry. "Lord Cowell is a really kind man and more noble than most of the young men you try to marry me off. How dare you try to kill him!" she shouted.  
Lord Flatlay was taken aback by her outburst.  
"If you had decided to meet them before you tried to kill him you might have realized that Lady Alana is pregnant. How can you try to kill the father of her child?"  
Lord Flatlay's eyes widened even more. "I didn't know."  
"No, because you decided to stay home. I suppose you were too cowardly to look into their eyes."  
Ash's anger was gone. He just stood there and watched the scenery.  
Suddenly Lady Olean paused. She turned to Ash. "What happened to the assassins?" she asked quietly, her voice indicating that she expected the worst.  
"They are dead," he replied.  
"My brother, was he . . .?"  
Ash nodded.  
She sat down and buried her face in her hands. She cried. But suddenly she jumped to her feet again and attacked her father. "You killed him!" she screamed and pounded at his chest.  
First Lord Flatlay just let her beat him. The man had tears in his eyes. Finally he embraced her and pulled her close. She still fought him but her attack wavered.  
"I am sorry," Lord Flatlay whispered. "I am so sorry."  
Crying terribly Lady Olean sank to the ground, her father still holding her. Ash stared at them. He wiped his face. It was wet. He hadn't realized his own tears. Slowly he withdrew. He dropped a coin and jumped out of the window, leaving the two alone in their misery.  
   


### » 47 «

   
Carn hid behind the carriages. The mists were already out and he was afraid. It wasn't the first time he was out in the mists. His whole family had been. Lord Poireen had forced them to go out. All who fell sick he had ordered to be slain. Fortunately his family hadn't been hit.  
They waited since hours now. He had seen Lord Brandon Leary arrive but he had been too afraid to speak to him. The Mistborn had said he should stay low, waiting for him. But Lord Ash hadn't returned yet.  
"Can I help you?" a sudden voice asked.  
Carn jumped, startled. A man sat on the carriage he was hiding behind. He wore servant's clothing.  
"I'm waiting for my master," Carn said.  
The man raised his eyebrows. "And who is this master?"  
Uncertain Carn swallowed. Could he tell the man who he was waiting for? What if he worked for one of the noblemen who had tried to kill the Cowells? Carn touched the guard's knife Lord Ash had given him. He was no fighter but he would defend his family. He had failed once, it wouldn't happen again.  
"Lord Ash Leary," he said carefully.  
Now the man seemed surprised. "I didn't know that Lord Ash has servants in Curafal." He suddenly smiled. "Have you worked at one of the houses Lord Ash visited recently?"  
Carn nodded. "House Poireen."  
"What's your name?"  
"Carn."  
Again the man looked surprised. Then he chuckled. "Weren't you actually supposed to meet Lord Cowell here?"  
Carn's jaw dropped. "How do you know?"  
"Lord Cowell asked me to look out for you. I am Winslow, their driver."  
Carn relaxed and stood. "Lord Ash said they got wounded."  
Winslow nodded, his expression changing to worried. "Are you alone?" he asked eventually.  
"My wife and my daughter are with me."  
"Go and get them, I will bring you to Lord Brandon Leary."  
Carn nodded and fetched his family. They followed Winslow inside. People bustled through the foyer, some of them looking worried others angry. Two men were arguing with a beefy man guarding the corridor they approached. He didn't want to let them pass. Winslow nodded to the man and entered the corridor without being bothered. Carn hurried after him. The guard eyed him suspicious. He heard that the argument grew more heated given that the two men couldn't understand why he had let them pass.  
Winslow stopped at a door guarded by another beefy man. Again Carn and his family were eyed suspiciously. Winslow knocked. A moment later the door was opened. The thin man, who had opened the door, stepped aside and let them enter.  
A man sat at the table, with his back to the door, together with Lord Cowell. Carn's eyes widened. Lord Cowell's face was swollen and differed in the colours blue and red. Two sutures framed his right eye.  
The other man turned and Carn recognized him as Lord Brandon Leary.  
"Carn!" Lord Cowell smiled at him. "You made it."  
Carn sighed relieved. His last tensions vanished. "Yes, thanks to Lord Ash."  
Lord Cowell and Lord Brandon frowned. "You have met him?"  
"He saved us."  
"Can you be more specific, please?" Lord Leary asked.  
"Lord Poireen caught us when we tried to leave. He---" Carn paused and looked at Arja.  
She nodded.  
"He brought us to his quarters and---" Again he looked at her, uncertain.  
"He raped me in front of their eyes," she said quietly.  
Carn could see how Lord Cowell's eyes flashed with anger. "He already paid for it," he said.  
"Yes!" Arja held her head up, proud now. "Even in death he won't be able to touch another woman."  
Confused Lord Leary looked at them.  
"Lord Ash let her take revenge. And she chose to---" He swallowed.  
"Cut it off," she ended his sentence.  
"You neutered him?" Lord Brandon sat aghast.  
Arja nodded. "Lord Ash let him suffer a while before he killed him."  
Although Lord Cowell had winced before, Carn now could see satisfaction in his eyes.  
"Lord Ash brought us out of the building and told us to wait here, but hide. Your servant found me outside."  
"I see I had a good reason to tell you so," another voice said.  
Carn looked at the door to the side room. Lord Ash stood there.  
"Ash!" Lord Brandon stood and walked to his son.  
"You should have someone at her side," he said quietly. "It was easy to enter through the window without any of you noticing it." He sounded tired.  
Lord Brandon embraced him and then pushed him away again. "Are you wounded?"  
The Mistborn shook his head. "It's not my blood."  
"You killed them all?"  
Lord Ash looked at Carn. "You okay?" he asked, ignoring his father's question.  
Carn nodded.  
Then he turned back to his father. "We should leave Curafal. I'll tell you the details on the way back."  
   
It was late at night when they left Curafal. Ash sat with Dockson and his father in the carriage, Alana lying on the other seat. A temporary guardrail held her in position even on a bumpy road. All of the Leary carriages had been altered to provide the option to safely carry a patient.  
Carn and his family had joined them. He sat on horseback now, following the carriage. While Xern and Purill rode next to the carriage, Carn's wife and daughter had joined Winslow on the driver's seat. Jenno headed the group because he was the only Tineye beside Ash.  
Ash had given a summary of his encounters with the four lords. He had seen the satisfaction in Dockson's eyes. Now they sat in silence, everyone lost in his own thoughts. Ash glanced at Dockson. His brother-in-law's eyes clung to Alana. He could see the fear in his face. Her situation hadn't changed. He gave him a little Soothing and could see how he relaxed a bit. He gave his father the same treatment, because he couldn't Soothe himself.  
Ash had been able to confirm that Alana still was flaring pewter, something that fascinated him. He had known that Pewterarms were able to burn pewter unconsciously when their body was used to burn it. But he never had heard about someone flaring it unconsciously. Xern and Purill had been surprised when he told them. It was new to them as well.  
Ash stretched his back and then looked at his sister again. There she lay, barely alive. He had been relieved to find her in the bed when he returned, still breathing. With every hour her chance of survival grew. He burned bronze. Immediately he felt the pulsing of her pewter-flaring wash over him. He closed his eyes and indulged in the smooth pulsing. It didn't take long until he fell into a fitful sleep.  
   


### » 48 «

   
Dockson climbed out of the carriage when they reached the manor. The cream coloured building lay peacefully in the sunlight. He spotted a little whirlwind hurrying to him.  
"Daddy!" Enya called and fell around his neck.  
"Careful, hon," he groaned.  
She pulled back from him and carefully touched his swollen face. "Does that hurt?" she asked.  
He nodded.  
Immediately she pulled her hand away.  
"No, not your touch, just the wounds. Your touch is rather pleasant." He smiled.  
The girl frowned. "I hope the man who did that to you looks at least the same," she said with angry voice.  
It almost made him laugh. "Kind of," he said evasively and smiled again.  
That moment Ash carried Alana out of the carriage.  
Enya's eyes went big. "Mommy?" She turned to her father. "Is she dead?" Panic was in her eyes.  
"No, but she is very sick."  
"How are my brother and my sister?"  
Dockson raised his eyebrows. "Your brother and your sister?"  
Enya nodded firmly and pointed at her mother's baby belly.  
"How do you know that they will be a girl and a boy?"  
The girl shrugged. "I know."  
Before he could say anything else, the girl hurried after Ash. Dockson sighed and followed them as well.  
"Sometimes children know more than you think," Brandon said. He had joined him.  
"I've realized that. But still Enya surprises me again and again. She is so firm about it."  
"Perhaps because she knows that she is right." Brandon chuckled quietly, but there was no mirth in it.  
Dockson frowned at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
"As a father you will learn one thing. Your children always surprise you, especially the girls. And the worst is they are usually right."  
Dockson shook his head. "In this case the worst is that her brother and sister will never be born," he replied quietly.  
   
Ash laid Alana on her bed. Enya stood next to him.  
"Will she be okay, Uncle Ash?" she asked.  
He looked down at his sister. Some colour had returned to her face but still it was ashen. She had survived the transport, which was a good sign.  
"Yes," he replied. "But she'll need to rest."  
"Why is she so pale?"  
"Because she has lost much blood."  
"Why?"  
He looked at the girl. How could he tell her that someone had tried to kill her mother? "She got wounded," he just said.  
"Ash!" Kayla rushed into the room and fell around his neck.  
He pulled her close. "Hey, babe."  
"You okay?"  
He nodded.  
"How is she?" she whispered.  
"See yourself."  
Kayla turned and stepped to the bed. She caressed Enya's head absently. Then she checked her friend. When she was done she sighed. "Enya, would you leave us alone, please. Your uncle and I have to discuss some things."  
Enya frowned. "Why am I always asked to leave?"  
"Because sometimes adults are uncertain and don't want to confuse you with that," Dockson said. He entered the room in that moment.  
Suspiciously she looked at her father. He met her eyes. Finally she nodded and left the room.  
"Dox! Your face!" Kayla said shocked.  
"I know. And no, I haven't looked into a mirror lately. Actually, I'm not very keen to do so right now."  
"You'll have to or you'll have a full beard soon."  
Dockson had a strange expression of discomfort in his face thereafter.  
Ash turned back to his wife. "What did you want to discuss?"  
"How much blood has she lost?"  
"Too much. There was a large pool of blood on the floor. For a while we thought we'd lose her."  
"The babies should be dead then, but they are alive."  
"They are?" Dockson perked up.  
Kayla nodded. "I can hear their heartbeats."  
Ash burned tin. The room grew ablaze but he ignored his sight. He held his ear against Alana's belly. His own heart skipped a beat. He could hear them, two powerful heartbeats. Surprised he looked up. "It's not just that," he said. "They are more powerful than two days ago."  
He could see the burgeoning hope in Dockson's face. "Damn, she was flaring her pewter all the time." He grinned. "It seems she made it. She actually saved the babies."  
Kayla frowned. "I wouldn't go so far." She looked at Dockson. "I'm sorry, but if she has lost so much blood it is possible that they'll be sick and die after birth. They probably didn't get enough oxygen."  
"Probably. But for the moment the heartbeats are better," Dockson said.  
"Dox, please. Don't do that. Don't jump at that. Yes, I know it's a hope, but don't go so far," Kayla tried to pull him down.  
"I'm sorry, Kay. But I need that right now. I'll worry later, okay? I got almost killed a few days ago and my wife still is unconscious. I need some hope now."  
Kayla sighed and nodded eventually.  
   


### » 49 «

   
Everything hurt. Kayla had given him a painkiller but that dampened only the physical pain, not the pain deep inside. The fear. He knew that Ash as well as Brandon Soothed him when they were around, what - especially in Ash's case - was very often. He always felt a little better then. But it didn't last long. And it didn't change the facts.  
Since three days now Alana was in coma. She had regained some colour but nevertheless she was pale. Still she burned pewter and every now and then he gave her a new bead to swallow. It fascinated him that someone unconscious was able to swallow at all. But apparently the survival instinct of the human body was stronger than anything else.  
Dockson held her hand and watched her. He tried to trick his mind with telling it that she was sleeping, but it didn't work. Fortunately she was stable now and the heartbeats of the babies were steady. That should have comforted him, but it didn't. He felt helpless, terribly helpless. There was nothing he could do besides staying at her side, holding her hand, letting her feel that she wasn't alone.  
"Guess that's the way you felt when I was in coma in Luthadel," he said quietly. "If you're doing that to let me feel that, it's okay. I got it. You can wake up now." He grimaced. "Or are you trying to let me suffer for that. That's a mean way for revenge, you know that. I know I have been selfish with trying to get myself killed but hey, there is no need to point that out again." He sighed. "I really understand that now. I love my life. I love my life with you and with Eni. You're my family. That's more than I ever had before. And with the babies it will be perfect. I promise I'll help you with them. I mean, I can't nurse them, but with anything else I'll help you. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it."  
"Daddy? Is Mommy awake?"  
Dockson looked up. Enya stood in the doorway. She wore a nightgown only. Only now he realized that it was dark outside already.  
"No, love. But I talk to her anyway. Perhaps she can hear me," he said.  
The girl rushed over and climbed on his lap, wrapping her arms around him. Dockson pulled her close. "I am afraid," Enya whispered.  
"I know, love."  
"What if she dies like Uncle Harris?"  
That thought gave him a stab. "She won't die. I promise. She will be fine. It just takes a couple days."  
"But why doesn't she wake up?"  
Dockson swallowed. He had asked the same question just an hour before when Brandon had checked Alana. "She has lost much blood. As long as she is unconscious she can concentrate her little energy on the babies. Your Mommy tries to protect them. That's what mothers do. They protect their children. I am sure she did protect you too, always."  
Enya nodded. "She made you noble to protect me."  
The comment gave him another stab. Alana had kept the child despite the danger. It would have been easy for her to lose the child. But instead she had born Enya, cared for her, protected her and above all loved her, because Enya was his child, their child. They had created a fake backstory, had made him a lesser nobleman to protect the girl. If the obligators had found out that Enya was a half-blood, they had killed her and probably Alana as well.  
"Can I stay here tonight?" Enya asked.  
"Of course."  
"Can I sleep at Mommy's side?"  
"Yes."  
Enya climbed off his lap and into the bed. She slipped under the blanket and cuddled up against her mother, carefully. Dockson changed into his sleeping clothing as well and joined her. He moved close to Enya and embraced her.  
 _You have to wake up, Al. We need you!_  
   


### » 50 «

   
It was silent at the lunch table although all of the house's nobility was present, all beside Alana. Her empty chair always reminded them of her current state. She was in coma for almost a week now. Lord Brandon had started to instil broth a couple days ago. She couldn't survive on pewter only especially not while pregnant. Ash said she had stopped flaring pewter, but still she burned it. Fortunately, given that pewter increased the reproduction of blood beside other things.  
One of the servants approached Dockson. He leaned down and told him quietly that a messenger had arrived from Curafal. Confused he looked at the man.  
"Send him in," he said and turned to the others. "A messenger from Curafal is here."  
"From Curafal?" Ash raised his eyebrow. "That's going to be interesting."  
A man entered the dining room. He bowed. "Lord Cowell?" he asked.  
"That's me," Dockson said.  
The man handed him a sealed letter and stepped back.  
"Would you like to stay overnight before you return?" Brandon asked.  
"Yes, my lord."  
"Ardell! Show the man a room where he can stay, and see to his needs."  
"Thank you, my lord." The messenger withdrew.  
"The seal is House Flatlay," Benten noted.  
Brandon nodded affirmative.  
Dockson broke the seal and unfolded the letter. He skimmed over it.  
"What does it say?" Ash asked impatient.  
"It's an apology. Lord Flatlay regrets what happened, not only related to Alana but to me. He has talked to the new leaders of houses Welida, Poireen and Harsworth. He has explained them what happened and took the blame for the killings. There will be no revenge from the houses. They all apologize for the behaviour of their former heads and hope that Alana will recover soon." He paused. "The letter is signed by all four houses."  
"That is unexpected," Brandon said.  
"No, it isn't." Benten shook his head. "They respect you as a healer and all of them know Alana. They respect her as healer as well. I would have been surprised, if they didn't feel ashamed about what happened."  
"Perhaps Flatlay's daughter helped a bit. She was really pissed at her father, not only for the attack but for her brother's death," Ash mentioned.  
"If she is as half as stubborn as her mother, the Lord Ruler may be with him," Lady Ortwin said.  
"Then he'll be pretty alone." Kayla chuckled.  
Della rushed into the room. "Ally is awake!" she called out, grinning broadly.  
Dockson jumped to his feet. He immediately felt his ribs but he ignored the pain. He dashed past Della. Footsteps sounded behind him and told him that others followed as well.  
When he reached his quarters, Ash was already there. He grinned mischievous. Dockson rolled his eyes. _Mistborn!_ he thought. Together they entered the sleeping room.  
Alana sat in her bed, caressing her belly. She looked up when they entered, confused. She frowned and looked from face to face. Her confused expression deepened.  
Dockson smiled deeply. He had to hold back not to assail her immediately. Brandon had warned that she could be confused and asked to give her time and space. That often happened after a massive blood loss. Enya didn't care. She rushed to her mother and fell around her neck.  
"Mommy!"  
Frowning deeply, Alana embraced her daughter tentatively. There was such a deep confusion in her eyes that it made Dockson wonder. She seemed perturbed.  
"Enya," he called the girl. She turned and looked at him. He waved her at his side. Reluctant she approached him. He laid his arm around her shoulder.  
Lord Brandon walked to the bed and examined Alana without a word. She studied him.  
"How do you feel?" he finally asked.  
"Dizzy," she replied. "Where am I?"  
Brandon raised his eyebrows. "You are at home in your bedroom."  
"At home?" She cocked her head. Again she looked at Dockson, Ash, Kayla, Elyria and Enya.  
The way she looked at them made Dockson's stomach twist. He had a very bad feeling.  
Finally Alana looked at her father. "Who are you?" she asked.  



	11. Chapter 4 - Part 1

## Chapter IV

### » 51 «

   
The whole situation seemed ridiculous. They sat together in the parlour, everyone quiet. Enya sat on Dockson's lap, cuddling up at her father, crying. He held the girl close, caressing her. Kayla could see the fear in his eyes.  
Only Ash stood. He stared out of the window, his hands clenched to fists. She couldn't see his eyes, but she knew the expression anyway, a mixture of fear, confusion and shock.  
Alana had recognized none of them. She didn't remember the location, she didn't remember her father, and she didn't even remember her daughter, not to mention all the others. They all were strangers to her. She had been completely confused. The only thing she remembered was that she expected twins. But apparently anything else was a blur.  
Lord Brandon entered the parlour. Everyone looked up and at him, besides Enya who still cried in her father's arms. Kayla didn't like her father-in-law's expression. He had sent them all out to give Alana space, to talk to her alone and to check her state.  
"How is she?" Lord Benten asked. He and Lady Ortwin hadn't been with them as well as Lord and Lady Foglio. But they had filled them in afterwards. They didn't know if Alana would recognize them, but Kayla doubted that.  
"She is awake, as you already know," Brandon said. "She is weak, but else okay. I gave her the advice to go on with the pewter burning."  
"What about her memory?" Kayla asked the question everyone bothered the most.  
"She doesn't remember. And I mean, she remembers nothing, neither the people, the location, nor what happened."  
"Is this permanent?" Elyria asked quietly.  
Brandon hesitated. It gave Kayla a stab. She already knew the answer.  
"I don't know," he said. "I had several cases of memory loss over the years, some remembered and others didn't. We will have to wait."  
"Why?" Ash turned. "Why doesn't she remember?"  
The pain in his voice twisted Kayla's stomach.  
"The blood loss, I guess, although it could be the trauma as well. She almost lost her unborn children."  
Kayla caressed her own baby belly. How would it have been for her? She closed her eyes. The thought alone was terrifying. Yes, she could believe that this was the reason. The worst was they couldn't even tell Alana that the babies would be fine. She had lost so much blood. It was a wonder that the babies were still alive at all. Alana herself had survived only because of her pewter. Every normal person had died from that amount of blood loss.  
"Can I talk to her?" Dockson asked.  
"I suggest that if you talk to her, do it alone. Don't overrun her. Give her time. Be patient with her. She is confused and she is afraid."  
   
He knocked. It felt wrong to do so, because it was his own sleeping room, but he didn't want to assail her. Brandon's words echoed in his mind. _Give her time, be patient. She is confused and afraid_. He sighed. _So am I_ , he thought.  
"Yes?" came from inside.  
Dockson opened the door and entered the room. Alana sat in the bed, a pillow in her back. Her baby belly was clearly visible under her nightgown. She looked at him, worried.  
"Hello Ally," he said.  
"Hello . . ." It was as if she tried to remember his name, but without success. She winced.  
"Dockson. Or Dox how you use to call me," he helped her.  
"What is our relation?" she asked carefully.  
It gave him a stab. "We are married," he said quietly and pointed at her baby belly. "Those are our children."  
She looked down and caressed her belly. She seemed so fragile, so lost. Dockson wanted to go over to her and embrace her, to hold her. Eventually he stepped to her bed, sitting down on the edge, but keeping enough distance not to overwhelm her.  
"I---" he said, but actually he had no idea what to say. He wanted to comfort her but he didn't know how. "I love you, Al," he just whispered.  
"I am sorry," she replied, burying her face in her hands. He heard her sob.  
Now he couldn't hold back anymore. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. She didn't fight him. She leaned against his chest and cried. Dockson rocked her to and fro, holding her, caressing her.  
"Everything will be okay. Take your time. You will remember and we will help you with it," he said softly. "Don't worry about us. We'll survive it, somehow. It is hard for us too, but not as hard as for you. But as long as we all are together, we can make it." He pushed her away, gently. "Whatever you need, tell us. Whatever you wonder about, ask us. Even if you think it is foolish to ask, just do it. We are there for you, always. Even if you don't remember us, we know who you are and we love you."  
Alana met his eyes and nodded. "Thank you," she replied quietly. She wiped her tears away. Then she raised her hand and carefully touched his still swollen face. "Who did that to you?" she asked.  
"You don't remember that?"  
She shook her head.  
"Do you want to know?"  
She nodded.  
"We were in Curafal for the ball. It was our first appearance in public together since we returned from Luthadel. Before, I couldn't walk, not to mention dance, for months. But that's another story." He grimaced. "However, some of the nobility there didn't like that we are married."  
"Why?"  
"Because I am skaa and you are a noblewoman."  
She frowned.  
"You do remember the difference between skaa and nobility?"  
"There is no difference."  
"Right." He smiled. "However, some didn't like it. Especially because I am higher in standing than they are now, due to the position I had in Luthadel. They sent an assassination team to kill us."  
"At the ball?"  
Dockson shook his head. "No, at the inn. They attacked us during breakfast."  
"How did we survive?"  
"First, they have underestimated us, I guess. You always kept your pewter secret and they didn't know that I have been a member of the underground before." He winked at her but she just frowned. "But in the end Ash was the one who saved us."  
"Who is Ash?"  
Dockson paused. That she didn't remember her brother was something he couldn't understand. They were so close and they knew each other since their birth. How could she forget _him_?  
She winced. "He is someone important, isn't he?  
He nodded. "He is your brother. You grew up together, like twins. You are _really_ close."  
She clenched her teeth. "I don't remember him," she said quietly.  
Dockson touched her face. "Give it time," he replied softly.  
Alana chewed her bottom lip. "The girl who was with you before, who embraced me, she is my daughter?"  
He nodded. "Enya."  
"She is your daughter too?"  
"Yes."  
"But she must be about ten. How is that possible? The Lord Ruler forbade relationships between skaa and nobility."  
Dockson raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You do remember that?"  
She nodded. "He died about two years ago and his system collapsed."  
Dockson stared at her. How could she remember that but not remember her own daughter?  
"You didn't answer my question," she said, uncertain.  
"You are right." He exhaled slowly. "Do you remember that you have been in Luthadel more than a decade ago, for your healer training?"  
She cocked her head, thinking. "Not really, although I do remember that I was trained in a school."  
"That is a start." He smiled deeply. "In Luthadel you helped the poor. You worked as skaa healer at night together with Kayla." He saw the question marks in her face. "The younger woman who was with us earlier."  
Alana nodded.  
"You and Kay went out every couple nights in secrecy and treated skaa. That's how we met. I was a friend of Ham who trained you in the use of pewter."  
Dockson hoped that she would remember Ham. The two had been very close, almost as close as she and Ash. But on the other hand she didn't remember Ash. So why should she remember Ham then? He looked at her. There was no reaction in her face. Obviously she didn't remember.  
"We fell in love and were a couple for a few months, but we broke up because you had to return home and our relationship was forbidden anyway." He decided to leave that part out about his hatred for the nobility and that he hadn't known her real identity. "You were pregnant back then, but we didn't know. You realized it when you returned home."  
"Was I married back then?"  
He shook his head. "No. But we married when we left Luthadel together after the Lord Ruler's death."  
"But how did I explain a child then?"  
"You and your father created a story about an affair with a lesser nobleman."  
She grimaced. "That must have been a nice scandal."  
"I am sure it was." He smiled deeply. "Guess it caused a heart attack to Lady Ortwin."  
Alana looked at him, a lost expression in her face.  
"She is your uncle's wife. She is kind of complicated." How could he explain that? "She is a good person deep inside, but a real noblewoman on the outside."  
"That sounds . . . troubling."  
Dockson chuckled. "That is one way to put it." He smiled.  
Alana rubbed her temples.  
"You should rest. If you need anything, just call. There are servants waiting outside. You have a bell there." He pointed at a string behind the bed.  
"Thank you," she said.  
"As I said before. Take your time. We are there for you, always."  
She nodded.  
He caressed her face. He wanted to give her a kiss but he saw the uncertainty in her eyes. He was a stranger to her. That would be the hardest part for him, he was sure. "I love you," he said softly and pulled his hand away. Then he stood and left the room.  
   


### » 52 «

   
It was late morning and Alana had insisted to get up. She was tired of staying in bed the whole day. She was no dolly. Certainly, she wasn't back to full health yet, she was still weak. But she had pewter and she was burning it. Spending the day in bed slowly drove her crazy. She didn't remember and that terrified her. How should she remember if she didn't see anything else but her sleeping room? She had joined the family at the breakfast table. By now she knew the names of all of them and her relationship to them. Not all of them were relatives.  
Lord and Lady Foglio were old friends from her time in Luthadel, who had left the city with her when she returned to South Searan where they were right now. Kayla had hesitated to tell her details. She didn't know why, but accepted it by now. Perhaps there was something she didn't want to be reminded of right now. All she knew was that Kayla had lived in their house in Luthadel back then but not as their but her servant.  
Nobody spoke at the table. All ate silently. Alana glanced at the people, watching them in secrecy. There was her father, a really tall nobleman with the same blue eyes she had. He seemed to be a kind man, calm and sturdy. His wife Elyria had been her foster mother after the death of her own mother. The woman had brown eyes and a pointed face. She was small compared to Lord Brandon, but taller than Kayla. She was a rather reticent person. They hadn't spoken much until now, although Kayla had assured her that she and Elyria were very close.  
Next to her sat Ash, Elyria and Brandon's son. He had been a forbidden bastard child but now was legitimate and the heir to the house. He looked a lot like his mother but had the height of his father. He was tall and beefy. Alana guessed he would be a frightening opponent in a fight. But he seemed to be rather kind, although she hadn't talked to him since her memory loss. He avoided her. Dockson had said they had been very close, and she couldn't miss the pain in his eyes when he looked at her, but she didn't remember him. No matter how hard she tried.  
Ash was accompanied by his wife Kayla, a small but graceful person with dark hair and brown eyes. Alana knew that she was a healer. Not just because Dockson had told her that they had worked together in Luthadel, but because she had checked her. She was a very sweet person and Alana liked to chat with her, also because she explained her a lot. With Kayla sat her children, Dellin and Tiya. Kayla was pregnant with twins just as Alana. That was rare, even for a skaa woman.  
Next to her daughter Tiya sat Lord Aron Foglio and his mother Lyddy, an old noblewoman with a complex hair dress. Alana hadn't talked to them, yet. She wondered about their friendship. What had caused that they had met? Why had they left the city with her? It bothered her. But she was afraid to ask. Kayla had avoided the topic with too much effort. Alana decided just to trust her by now and let it be.  
Then there was Lord Benten, her uncle. He was almost a spitting image of his brother, but not as tall as Lord Brandon. Kayla had explained that he cared for anything relating to the manor and that he was a passionate gardener. The indoor garden of the manor had been his creation. His wife Lady Ortwin was a real noblewoman as well as Lady Lyddy, her golden hair done and her gown neat, as if she would expect visitors any minute.  
And then there were Dockson and Enya. That she didn't remember them bothered her most. How was it possible that she didn't remember her own child? The girl was a little beauty with long dark hair and grey eyes. The same eyes Dockson had. Those eyes were strangely familiar to her, what confused her. She didn't remember them but she remembered their eyes. Why?  
Again Alana looked around. Still, no one spoke. It felt wrong. They didn't seem to be people who remained silent in the company of their friends and family. "Is it always that silent at the dining table?" Alana asked quietly.  
All looked up from their plates and stared at her. She felt the sudden urge to just merge with the background.  
"No, it isn't." Lord Brandon smiled at her reassuring.  
"Why then today? Because of me?"  
Her father hesitated. "I guess we didn't want to exclude you from our conversation, because it might be hard for you to follow," he explained.  
Alana shook her head. "How am I supposed to remember if anyone doesn't behave normal when I am around?"  
"You are absolutely right, dear," Lady Lyddy said. "That was very inconsiderate of us." She smiled at her.  
Alana smiled back, uncertain.  
"Very well, then." Lyddy turned to Brandon. "Will you go to the hospital today or stay at the manor, Lord Brandon?"  
"I need to go to the hospital. I have to perform an operation," he replied.  
"Will Lady Kayla join you?"  
"No," Kayla replied. "I have enough to do on the plantation. The summer flue is escalating among the plantation workers."  
"What about you, Lord Ash? Will you help your wife?"  
Ash looked up and stared at her as if awaking from a dream. Then he shook his head like to shake it off. "I am sorry. I can't just pretend that nothing happened," he said harsh. He pushed his chair back and stood. Kayla grabbed for his arm but he pulled it away. He glanced at Alana. She saw the pain in his eyes again. Then he turned and rushed out.  
She took a deep breath. "Perhaps it was a bad idea to join you for breakfast," she said quietly.  
"No," Dockson disagreed.  
Alana looked at him.  
"You were right. This is the best way to remember." He smiled at her reassuring.  
"But I cause discomfort."  
"The situation is hard for all of us," Brandon said. "You feel like a stranger among the people who love you, and we don't want to ask too much of you. I guess we all have to learn to handle the situation and make the best of it. Be patient with us."  
Alana frowned, but then nodded.  
"It has an advantage anyway," Dellin suddenly said.  
She looked at him, confused. And so did the others.  
The boy immediately seemed to get nervous. "Err, I mean. I always see the same people day by day. For you it is as if to meet a lot of new people." He flushed and looked away.  
"I would prefer to remember, Dellin. But anyway, thank you. Perhaps it really has its advantages." Alana smiled at him, though she felt more like crying.  
   
"Sorry, about Dellin's comment earlier," Kayla said. She joined Alana on the balcony.  
"Don't be. He is a child. For him it is some kind of adventure, I guess."  
"And sorry about Ash's behaviour," Kayla added quietly. "He struggles heavily."  
"Why?"  
"Why?" Kayla frowned. "Just a few days ago you fooled around together even more childish than the kids. I found the two of you sitting on the ground, laughing until you cried. I still have no idea what it was about. You always did that. And now, you don't remember him. He is a stranger to you. He can't handle that."  
"I don't do that on purpose." Alana clenched her jaws.  
"I know, and he does too. But still." She shook her head. "Give him time."  
She nodded. "Do you know where Dockson went to?" she asked after a while.  
"I guess he'll be in his study as always."  
"What is he doing the whole day, actually?"  
Kayla shrugged. "He leads the plantation, confers with the elders, buys crops and that stuff, I guess."  
"You guess?"  
"I don't see much of him," she said. "And he rarely speaks about his work. It is bureaucratic work mostly, rather boring. Not exactly the kind of things I ask after."  
"What about the summer flue you were talking about earlier?" Alana changed the subject.  
"We have several cases in the hovels. I hope it won't spread that much. But until now it's manageable."  
"If you need help, please, tell me."  
Kayla turned. "You do remember the healing?"  
Alana nodded. "I remember how I was trained, the cases, just not the people."  
"That is kind of . . ."  
"Confusing? Troubling? Terrifying?"  
Kayla nodded.  
"Yes, it is." Alana leaned on the railing of the balcony and looked over the plantation. "It is strange. I do remember what I was taught, but I don't remember the trainers."  
"But maybe that's something we can work with. If you remember the situations we just have to add the people."  
Alana frowned. "I don't think that it is so easy." She sighed. "However, thank you."  
"For what?" Kayla seemed confused.  
"For behaving normal around me."  
   
The outdoor garden of the manor was even more beautiful than the indoor garden. Lord Benten had excelled himself by designing it. Alana enjoyed the shadow of the trees. It was summer now and the heat was unbearable at times. She leaned against the trunk of one of the larger trees, white leaves rustling in the wind above her. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the sound.  
For a moment she was able to forget her situation. The peaceful atmosphere calmed her, carried her fear away. The rustling of the leaves was accompanied by the chirping of birds. She caressed her baby belly.  
"Mommy?"  
Alana opened her eyes. Enya stood a couple feet away from her, obviously not daring to come closer. She studied the child how she stood with clasped hands, shy and full of fear. The fear in the girl's eyes gave her a stab. She didn't remember her, but she didn't want to see her afraid anyway.  
"Come," Alana said and walked to one of the benches in the garden. She sat down there.  
Enya joined her and sat down next to her, nervously.  
Alana caressed her head. "I know you are afraid. I am afraid too." She put her finger under the girl's chin and raised her head. "I want to remember you." She softened her voice. "I don't want to see you afraid. Don't be. Even if I might never remember what was, you still are my daughter. I just need a bit time to return to our old relationship."  
Enya nodded. "What about Daddy?" she asked.  
Alana swallowed. During the last week Dockson had often visited her and they had talked about trivial stuff and about Enya. He was nice. She liked him. But that was it. Right now she couldn't see why she had fallen in love with him. She felt sympathy, but nothing more. But she hadn't fallen in love with him on sight before, if she had understood him correct. Perhaps it was just a matter of time. Or perhaps she just remembered her feelings one day.  
"I don't know, Enya. I really don't know."  
The girl looked sad.  
 _She really loves her father. They must be very close._ Alana sighed. "Give me time. I can't promise anything. But I will try to remember, okay?"  
Enya nodded.  
   


### » 53 «

   
Alana stood on the balcony of her quarters and looked over the plantation. She was confused, still. Since three weeks now she tried to remember. But still she couldn't. Everything was blank. She couldn't remember her parents or her childhood; she didn't recognize her daughter, although they had spent lots of time together lately. It made her feel terrible.  
She caressed her baby belly. But the worst was that she didn't remember the father of the children she was expecting. She had met her husband several times for small talk. He tried to help her to remember. She had seen the pain in his eyes. He was a nice man, but still she felt nothing. And she didn't remember anything about him.  
"Hey," a soft voice said.  
She turned. Dockson stood in the balcony doorway. She swallowed and looked away again. He walked over, stopped next to her and looked over the plantation as well.  
"I am sorry," she whispered.  
"I would lie if I say I don't mind." He looked at her again. "But as I said before, I won't force you to anything. The servants have brought my stuff to other quarters. This is yours now, yours and Enya's."  
"Thank you. That is really kind of you." She met his eyes. She could see pain in there again.  
They fell silent and he looked over the plantation. She studied his features. He had a kind squarish face and wore an unusual half beard. But it fit him. He was half a head taller than she was with a stocky body and muscular arms he had folded on the railing right now.  
Suddenly a memory flashed through her mind. It was the memory of another man, tall and svelte with green eyes. _Markes!_ She gasped as more memories about Markes appeared; nice ones but also terrible ones. She gave a loud groan and slumped to the ground, overwhelmed by the power of those memories. _He died in my arms!_ She felt the pain as if it was a fresh one and started to cry terribly.  
"Ally!" Dockson immediately knelt down next to her and pulled her close. She wrapped her arms around him and he held her tight.  
It took a while until she calmed down again, though the pain remained. Anyway slowly the shivering stopped. She pulled herself away from him. "I am sorry," she whispered.  
"Not for that." He lifted her chin to meet her eyes. "Not for that," he repeated with soft voice.  
She saw worry in his grey eyes, those warm and familiar eyes. Why did she remember his eyes only? She gasped again as other memories flashed through her mind. Pictures of an elder man with the same grey eyes, the same features. She saw him throwing her into the air as a child, showing her how to use a saw, playing with her daughter and finally she saw the dead body in the mists and felt the terrible pain of loss again.  
"No!" she protested. "Stop!"  
She held her head as more memories returned, memories of a young man in mill worker clothing, about their first meeting on a market where he pleaded for help, sitting in a park while he was her servant, laughing with her in a small room with a baby. Again those good memories were shadowed by his death.  
"No! Stop that, please!" she cried out and then everything went black.  
   
Dockson didn't know what to do. He saw the horrible pain in her face while she held her head. He felt helpless. He embraced her again, but this time she didn't wrap her arms around him. He wasn't sure if she even realized it. And then without a warning she blacked out. He lifted her carefully and brought her inside.  
"Get Lord Brandon!" he ordered one of the servants.  
The man ran out.  
Dockson brought Alana into the sleeping room, laying her on the bed. He looked down at her, again feeling terribly helpless.  
It took a while until Brandon appeared. He was accompanied by Kayla and Ash.  
"What happened?"  
"I don't know. She suddenly groaned loud and then she slumped down, crying. After a while anything was okay again but before I could ask, it started again. She held her head and wanted something to stop. Her face was full of pain." He was close to panic. "And then she passed out."  
Brandon frowned. "It sounds as if she was overwhelmed by memories. But I am afraid those weren't good memories." He checked his daughter.  
"Is that normal?" Dockson asked.  
"Sometimes people with memory loss remember first those things that are bond with very strong emotions, mostly the loss of someone." He frowned. "The problem is that these people often don't _want_ to remember more things afterwards. They are afraid that there will be more such horrible memories. They block their memory then."  
Dockson swallowed.  
"Have you seen waves?" Kayla asked.  
He frowned. "What do you mean?"  
"You said that it started and she calmed down afterwards."  
He nodded.  
"When it started again, was it only one memory or was there perhaps a second?"  
"I think there was a second."  
"That means three memory waves altogether, three different memories with strong emotions."  
Ash looked at her confused and so did Dockson.  
"Don't you see it? Markes, Ronan and Harris! They all are dead and she loved them, and worst, she has _seen_ them die. She must have remembered their deaths."  
Dockson closed his eyes. He could only guess how painful that must have been. First to completely forget and then within a few minutes remembering all three events. No wonder she had collapsed.  
"Is there anything we can do?" he asked.  
"Be there for her. And help her to remember the good things, make her _want_ to remember the good things," Brandon said.  
"Is there a chance that she will remember all?"  
"To be honest, that chance is very small."  
   


### » 54 «

   
He Pushed and Pulled himself through the night without aim, his pewter off, to distract himself, trying to burn away all his energy. Three weeks had passed since Alana's memory loss. He had barely talked to her since. He couldn't. The way she looked at him like at a stranger, it ripped him apart. They had spent almost every day together as children, but she didn't remember him. He couldn't understand it.  
Kayla had asked him to behave normal around her, just to be himself. But how could he be himself while half of him was missing? They had complemented each other, like two halves of one soul. When Alana had been in Luthadel he had missed her terribly. Fortunately his father had decided to have him trained as guard and then he had trained him as nurse. The training had been something he had been able to wrap his mind around, to distract him. But still he hadn't been the person he was.  
When she finally had returned he had revived. Brother and sister back together, although they hadn't known that they really were brother and sister. It hadn't mattered. The day she returned, he had sworn to never leave her again, to stay with her, always, no matter what. Since then he had broken his promise only once on purpose. And that had been a terrible mistake. The others didn't see it but with leaving her alone that one time, he had endangered her life and that of her unborn children. It was his fault that she had been wounded. It was his fault that she had lost her memory.  
He should have been in Curafal with her. But instead he had stayed on the plantation, because of nothingness, because of things he could have cared for afterwards. He was her personal guard, even if not officially anymore. He should have known that she was in danger. He knew the local nobility. He should have seen that Poireen never would accept her marriage to a skaa, especially instead of marrying him.  
And now this afternoon she had collapsed, collapsed from overwhelming memories, bad memories. Deaths of people she loved, deaths she scarcely had overcome. Now everything was back with full power, as if it had happened the day before. But this time, all three deaths at once. He wanted to help her, to care for her, to protect her, but he was a stranger for her. She didn't let him close enough to help. He couldn't be the person she trusted with her life, the person she told anything, because she didn't remember him.  
When Ash returned to the manor about midnight he felt exhausted. He jumped onto his balcony and landed in a crouch. A sound let him turn. The balcony next to his was that of his sister's quarters. With help of tin he pierced the mists. There she stood, her arms wrapped around her. Despite the mists he could see her tears. She was crying silently. It made his stomach twist. He jumped over to her balcony and approached her slowly.  
"Al?" he asked softly.  
She turned startled. Her eyes widened in shock and she backed off. Ash saw terror in her eyes. She was afraid. She was afraid _of him_.  
"Al, it's me. Please, remember," he whispered pleading.  
But she backed off even more until the railing stopped her. She looked around, searching a way to get away from him. She was close to panic. "Go away!" she said, her voice trembling from fear.  
His heart hurt, tears appeared in his eyes. He dropped a coin and jumped into the darkness. When he landed on the ground he started to run. He had his pewter burning now, running through the darkness as fast as he could manage.  
Ash didn't know when he stopped. His feeling for time was lost in his pain. But suddenly his pewter was gone. He tripped and slumped to the ground, feeling his exhaustion like a hammer blow. He lay in the dirt, not willing to move. Still his heart felt as if someone was ripping it apart. _She was afraid of me!_ He cried out.  
   


### » 55 «

   
Kayla entered the dining room in the early morning. When she had woken up the place next to her had been empty and unused. She knew that Ash had been out to process the current situation with his sister. It had hit him harder than she had expected. It reminded her of how close the two of them were. Now he was completely confused that she didn't remember him, way more than she could comprehend. Kayla had seen the pain in his eyes, even worse after the collapse the day before.  
She looked at the breakfast table but Ash wasn't there. Only Dockson was up early and poked half-heartedly through his meal. He raised his head and looked at her. The former thief cracked a smile but it vanished soon after again.  
"Good morning," she said and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Then she took seat next to him.  
"Good morning," he replied.  
Kayla studied him for a minute. "How are you?" she asked.  
"Terrible," he just said.  
She laid her hand on his arm for a moment, not knowing what to tell him to make him feel better. For a couple minutes they sat in silence. Kayla picked some bread and vegetables and ate.  
"Have you seen Ash?" she asked after a while.  
Dockson shook his head and pushed his still full plate away.  
"He went out when the mists appeared and hasn't returned yet."  
"Don't worry. He is Mistborn."  
Kayla nodded but she was worried nonetheless. When Ash had left she had seen his confusion, his pain. The worst was he didn't let her help. He drew back instead. It made her feel helpless. _That way he must have felt when I backed off in Luthadel. He cared for me anyway. I need to tell him the reason._  
"Kay?"  
"Hum?" She looked at Dockson.  
"What if she doesn't remember me?" he asked quietly.  
For a moment she didn't answer. She wanted to give him hope, but that was impossible. Brandon was right. The chances were very low after such a complete memory loss.  
"Then you have to help her to fall in love with you again." She smiled reassuring.  
Dockson snorted. "That is impossible."  
Kayla frowned. "Why do you think so?"  
"The man she fell in love with doesn't exist anymore. I have changed."  
"I still see my friend Dockson, the kind man I liked from the beginning."  
"Yes, but I grew boring. Back then I was the thief who helped you, who protected you. And there were Kell and Ham." He shook his head. "Now I'm just a landlord who leads a plantation, a bureaucrat who barely leaves the house."  
"I don't think you're boring, Dox."  
"Because you know me, you see more than others. You see the man I was, she'll only see the man I became."  
Kayla paused. He was right. The situation now wasn't comparable with their time in Luthadel back then. He had been a thief who was used to fight, always his daggers at hand, constantly on edge with the ministry. She sighed. "She does remember her training. That means she'll start to go out again to help people as healer." She thought about that a moment. "We shouldn't let her go to the hospital, rather to the skaa of the plantation. And you go with her, protecting her, helping her."  
Dockson frowned. "The problem is I have a plantation to lead."  
"True, but the planation worked well before you arrived without a leader. Perhaps you'll have to direct the people from time to time but they are used to work on their own."  
"I doubt Ash will accept when I go out with her."  
"He will survive it." _Or at least I hope so_ , she thought.  
Elyria entered the dining room. "Good morning," she said.  
"Good morning," Kayla replied. "Where is Brandon?"  
"He had an emergency this morning. He left an hour ago."  
"Have you seen Ash?"  
"No. Wasn't he with you tonight?"  
Kayla shook her head. "He left in the evening and didn't return yet."  
Elyria nodded. "Don't worry, dear. It's not the first time. He'll come back when he's ready."  
Kayla frowned. "What do you mean with 'it's not the first time'?"  
Elyria sat down. "When Ally and Ash fought heavily, he often ran away. Once he has been away for three days. It finally even worried Ally, although she really was angry at him. She found him hiding at one of their places."  
Kayla wanted to ask what they had been fighting about because she couldn't believe that they fought so heavily that Alana still was pissed at him after three days. She had rarely seen them fight, and if then it had been hard for both of them, always. They loved each other way too much to be angry for long. But she swallowed the question.  
"Do you know their old hiding places?" she asked instead.  
Elyria shook her head, sadness appearing in her eyes. "There were only two people beside Ash who knew; Ally and Harris."  
Kayla closed her eyes. _Harris is dead and Ally doesn't remember._ But perhaps if she worried about him she would remember. _No, she doesn't remember Ash. They haven't talked since. Why should she worry about him enough to remembe_ r?  
   


### » 56 «

   
Ash woke up from the sunlight. He lay on the bare ground. For a moment he was confused. Then he stood and stretched his muscles. They hurt from the hard ground. He tried to burn pewter against the pain but realized that his pewter was gone. He pulled out one of his vials and downed its contents. A moment later the by now familiar sensation of burning pewter made his pain vanish.  
He tried to orientate. In front of him towered the mountains of the Crescent Dominance. He frowned. _Did I run that far?_ To his left he saw the dark mass of the lake. That meant he was east of the manor. He guessed by horse would it take about two to three hours to get to this place.  
For a moment Ash was undetermined. He knew he should return home because Kayla would be worried. But on the other hand he didn't want to go home. His stomach twisted as he remembered his sister's reaction the night before. She had almost panicked because of him. She never had feared him before. He was her brother, not just by blood. He would never hurt her, and she knew that. Or rather she had known it before she had lost her memory.  
Ash walked to the lake's shore. For a while he just stared at the dark surface of the lake. Then he undressed and entered the water. The cool and wet element caressed his ankles, thigh, waist and finally his whole body. He took a deep breath and ducked under water. But instead of swimming he just let himself drift, looking upward toward the sky. The sunlight broke through the surface of the lake like tentacles reaching out for him. He heard nothing but his heartbeat and the whooshing and gurgling of the water.  
Suddenly he realized that his pewter enabled him to stay under water longer than usual. He always had been able to hold his breath for a very long time, but now it worked even longer. He closed his eyes and remembered a day from his childhood. He had ducked under water and stayed there. Alana had feared for him back then. She had called him. He had tried to make her overcome her fear of water and to go deeper and look for him, perhaps to even duck under water herself. But then he had heard the panic in her voice. He had surfaced and she had fallen around his neck, crying. That day he had realized how deep her fear was.  
Ash surfaced again and breathed the fresh morning air in. Then he left the water. Given that he was wet and had no towel he just grabbed his clothing and headed westward toward the manor. He didn't mind to walk naked. The air was warm and there were no fields around here what meant that he wouldn't meet any plantation workers.  
It didn't take long until the summer sun had dried his muscular body and short hair again. He stopped and put on his trousers and shoes. Then he moved on. But suddenly he paused. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted something anomalous. He turned toward the foothills. There was a dark patch to see, like an entrance to a cave.  
Curious Ash climbed over the rocks that blocked the entrance. It wasn't big. When he reached out he could touch its ceiling. He left his shirt on a rock outside of the entrance to have his hands free and entered the corridor behind. It bend downwards but in an easily to walk angle. After a few feet it grew darker and he burned tin. Immediately his sight was enhanced, but he also felt the cool air of the cave on his bare skin now. He regretted that he had left his shirt outside.  
The tin wouldn't help him much when there was no residual light, but to his surprise it never grew completely dark thanks to lichen patches on the walls. The lichen emitted a shimmer of light. Therefrom he easily could see his surroundings with his tin. After about a hundred and fifty feet he entered a huge cavern. It wasn't very high, perhaps fifteen feet, but deep. Several corridors continued out of it.  
Ash's tin enhanced ears heard the sound of trickling water. He followed the sound through one of the corridors. After another sixty feet he reached a cavern that shimmered in an amazing beauty. He stared at a large lake, reflecting the shimmer of the lichen on the walls. Out of curiosity Ash extinguished his tin. The cavern darkened but after a while he still could see the contours of the lake and the amazing beauty of the cavern. He burned tin again and crouched at the lake. With his hand he scooped water and tasted it. It was clean fresh-water. _It must be filled by one of the springs of the lake_ , he thought.  
Ash turned and returned to the main cavern, or what he at least suspected to be the main cavern. He itched to explore the other corridors. But first he had to tell the others about his finding. They could explore it together. He was sure that his sister would be amazed by the lichen. Perhaps it was a good distraction for all of them and would help to dampen the tensions when they had a common goal.  
He left the cave and turned to the west again toward the manor, walking with a faster pace now. He guessed it would take him a couple hours in that speed but he didn't mind. He still needed time to think.  
   
The hovel was dark in comparison to the blinding sunshine outside. Kayla worked near the entrance to see enough, because the window shutters had been closed to keep the heat outside. Only the door was open and provided light. She splinted the broken leg and bandaged it. Suddenly a shadow fell over her as someone stepped in the doorway.  
"Get out of my light, please," she said without looking up. But the person didn't move. Finally she sighed annoyed and looked up.  
A tall and beefy man stood in the doorway, blocking almost all of the sunlight.  
"Ash!" She stood and hugged her husband. Only now she realized that he was bare-chested. His skin was hot and sweaty from the sun. "Where have you been? I was worried," she said.  
"I needed time to think. Sorry that I disappeared without a word."  
"You okay?" she asked.  
"Kind of." He looked at her patient. "Can we talk?"  
"I'll be finished in a couple minutes. You can accompany me on my way back to the manor."  
Ash nodded and Kayla finished her work. He assisted her. From time to time she glanced at him. His sun-tanned muscles were covered with a thin film of sweat what gave them a velvety shimmer in the sunlight. She could feel how her body reacted. Even after a decade of marriage his well-shaped body still made her feel like a teenage girl in love. She swallowed and tried to push her arousal away.  
Finally they left the hovel and walked to the cart. They climbed the seat and Ash took the reins. Then he clicked his tongue and the horse fell into walk.  
"Where have you been?" Kayla repeated her question from before.  
"At the eastern end of the plantation. Where the foothills meet the lake."  
"So far away? Why?"  
Ash fell silent for a moment. "Kay, do I look intimidating?" he asked eventually.  
She frowned. "Why do you ask?"  
"When I returned to the manor last night, Ally was on her balcony. She was crying. I wanted to comfort her and joined her." He hesitated. "She was terribly afraid of me and sent me away."  
Kayla saw the pain in his eyes. She sighed. "Ash, actually, you are _not_ intimidating."  
"But?"  
"But when you walk through the mists something happens to you. When you suddenly appear in the mists for a second even _I_ have the urge to back off. You are very tall and with your beefy built you look like a warrior. During the day people can decide to be afraid of you or to feel protected by your presence. But when you walk in the mists, the mists play around you, they embrace you, like you were born from the mists. It lets you look _very_ intimidating. And for people who don't know what a kind person you are, you might appear horrifying. Have you never wondered why we never got attacked in Luthadel at night when you were around?"  
"I have never thought about it."  
"Ally doesn't remember who you are. She doesn't know the kind man who would do anything to protect her. She is confused and afraid. The only things she remembers are the deaths of people she loved."  
"Is that confirmed now?"  
Kayla nodded. "I talked to her this morning. But she hasn't told me about your meeting last night. Perhaps she hasn't recognized you at all. Was there any light on the balcony?"  
Ash shook his head.  
"She can't burn tin. That means she might have barely seen your features." A sudden thought came to her mind but she didn't voice it. _You might have made anything worse, my love!_  
They fell silent.  
Kayla thought about the current situation. _There must be a way to make her remember. Perhaps we can cause a traumatic situation that forces her to remember. Or we put her into a medical-induced coma. That might help. I have to talk to Brandon about that._  
"I found a cave," Ash suddenly said.  
"Excuse me?"  
"After the event with Ally I simply ran until my pewter was out. I crashed then. When I woke up this morning I found myself not far away of a cave entrance. I have checked two caverns already. There is at least one huge cavern and attached to it another one with a lake of pure fresh-water. But there are more corridors." He looked at her. "I thought we could explore it together with Dox and Al."  
"That sounds . . . interesting." Kayla wasn't sure if she liked the thought to explore a cave.  
"You don't sound very happy."  
"I never liked dark cellars. I doubt I like dark caves."  
He suddenly grinned. "That is the most amazing about this one. It isn't dark."  
Kayla frowned. "How can a cave not be dark?"  
"There grows strange lichen on the walls. It luminesces greenish. The whole cave is filled with it. I could extinguish my tin and still saw something."  
Now Kayla grew curious. "That really sounds interesting. I would like to examine that lichen."  
Ash laughed. "What would the Kayla from fifteen years ago say to such a reaction?"  
"She would probably call me stupid." Kayla grinned.  



	12. Chapter 4 - Part 2

### » 57 «

   
They sat in the parlour and Ash told them about his findings. Alana listened closely. Ash glanced at her from time to time, uncertain and worried, even if his findings had dampened his tensions.  
"They luminesce?" Alana's eyes immediately shone curious when he told them about the lichen. "That is fascinating. I would like to see that lichen. Perhaps we can use it in healing."  
It made Ash burst into laugh.  
"What?" she asked confused.  
"Kayla had almost an identical reaction. You taught her well." He smiled deeply.  
"I did?"  
He nodded.  
Alana smiled at Kayla. "It looks like we have a project." The sight made Ash's heart leap.  
Kayla nodded and smiled back.  
"And while you check the lichen, Dox and I explore the caves."  
Dockson was about to say something, perhaps to protest, but shut his mouth again, obviously reconsidering. "Probably a good idea. We might need it one day," he said eventually.  
"Then we'll do so. I suggest we start tomorrow as soon as the mists are gone," Ash replied.  
Dockson frowned. "Not tomorrow. I need to arrange some things first. But two days should be enough. I suggest that we start in three days in the morning. And we should take two tents with us, just in case."  
Alana frowned at him.  
"One for the women and one for the men," he added and turned to Ash. "If you don't mind to sleep with me in a tent."  
"Do you snore?"  
"I don't know. At least I never got trouble." He glanced at Alana.  
"Very well, in three days then," Alana said, obviously ignoring his insinuation. She stood.  
"Al? Can we have a word?" Ash asked carefully.  
She turned and looked at him surprised.  
"Alone?"  
She nodded.  
Kayla and Dockson left the room and them alone.  
"I wanted to apologize that I frightened you last night. I didn't know that I look so intimidating in the mists." He bit his lip sheepishly.  
"That was you?" She sounded astonished.  
He nodded.  
She closed her eyes for a moment. "I didn't even recognize your voice," she said quietly.  
"Voices sound different in the mists." He smiled apologetic. "I just want to let you know that you'll never have to fear me. You are my sister, not just by blood. I love you and I would never do you any harm." He swallowed. "If there is anything you need, just tell me. I'm there for you, always."  
Tears appeared in her eyes. She wavered but finally she stepped to him and wrapped her arms around him. She rested her head at his chest and Ash embraced her.  
"I love you, Sis," he whispered.  
"I want to remember," she replied. "But I am afraid. All I remember are terrible things."  
"All? Do you remember just their deaths or do you remember the good things as well?"  
For a moment she was silent. "I remember the good things too."  
"Then hang on to those memories."  
He felt how she nodded.  
Then a sudden thought occurred to him. "When you remember the good things, are there other people around?" he asked.  
She pulled away from him and looked at him frowning, thinking. Then she nodded. "Yes, but their faces are blurred." She cocked her head but her gaze was unfocused. "No, I see Enya's face. Harris is playing with her." Her face suddenly enlightened. "She was four years old. It was at her birthday." Alana fell around his neck and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "I remember my daughter!" she called out happily. Then she blushed and pulled away. "I am sorry."  
"For what?"  
"The kiss."  
"Don't be. I'm used to that." He smiled deeply. "You always did that."  
"I did?"  
He nodded solemnly.  
"Well, then." Smiling she gave him another kiss on his cheek.  
It made his heart leap. Their eyes met and he saw a warm glow in hers for the first time since days.  
"Thank you," she said softly. "I might not remember our relationship but I hope I will soon. You made my day today. I remember Enya. I even remember her birth."  
"But you don't remember how she came into existence?"  
Her face clouded. "No," she replied quietly.  
Ash regretted that he had asked. But now he couldn't take it back. "I remember when you returned home back then. You were devastated, even after a three months trip," he said.  
For a moment she was silent again. "Ash?" she eventually asked.  
"Hum?"  
"Can you tell me about him? Perhaps it helps me remember."  
"I know almost nothing about your time in Luthadel ten years ago. You have to ask Kay for that."  
"But you can tell me all _you_ know."  
He nodded.  
   
Alana hurried through the corridors of the manor. She had no idea where she was going to, she simply trusted her instincts. Finally she reached the garden where Enya and Dellin were playing. She paused in the doorway and watched them, tears in her eyes. She remembered everything about her. How she had nursed her when she was a baby, her first tooth, all the birthday presents she had given to her.  
Suddenly Enya paused and turned to her. The girl cocked her head. "Mommy?"  
Alana simply nodded and opened her arms. Enya rushed over and fell around her neck. Alana held her tight, tears running down her face.  
"Do you remember me, Mommy?"  
"Yes, Sweetheart, I do."  
She pushed her daughter away and caressed her face. She studied the girl's features. _Those eyes, those are Harris' eyes_ , she realized. _And Dockson's eyes, he is her father. Why don't I remember him?_ she thought frustrated. "I love you so much!" she said eventually.  
"I love you too, Mommy." Enya cocked her head again. "Do you remember Daddy too?"  
Alana closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, hon. I don't."  
"He loves you, Mommy!"  
"I know, Sweetheart, I know." She sighed.  
"I don't understand that. You love him. How can you forget him then?"  
Alana hesitated. How could she explain that to her if she didn't understand it herself? "Look at Dellin. You love him, don't you?" she asked eventually.  
Enya nodded.  
"Now imagine that everything you know about him, everything you feel about him would be gone suddenly and he would be a stranger to you."  
The girl frowned and shook her head. "I would still love him."  
"It is not that easy." Alana sighed. "I don't understand it myself." But then she smiled. "However, I remember you and that is important right now." She pulled her daughter close again. "I love you!"  
   


### » 58 «

   
Four horses stood in the courtyard, saddled and ready for the trip. Alana was about to mount but Dockson held her back.  
"You take the carriage, both of you," he said.  
"No! It will cost us too much time if we have to stay on the road. And near the cave is no road according to Ash," Alana disagreed. "We are more flexible with horses."  
"That might be, but you are pregnant."  
"Yes, and we still have three months to go. We can ride without problems."  
"What if the horse rears up and you get unseated?"  
"You already fight like a married couple again," Ash noted, grinning.  
"I just don't want her to lose the babies. And you should think about your wife as well," Dockson snapped.  
Ash raised his hands in defence. "I totally agree. I just noted that you fight like always when _you_ try to protect her and _she_ is too stubborn to listen."  
"I am not stubborn!" Alana protested.  
"No?" Ash smiled mischievous.  
Dockson realized not for the first time that the man had returned to his old cheeky behaviour around her. _Something must have changed between them. She only remembers Enya as far as I know._ He sighed silently. _They grew up together. Perhaps it's just the close familiarity what makes it easier for them._  
"Then let me ask you one question." Ash's smile deepened. "If Kayla were some patient of yours, pregnant with twins, birth in about three months, and she'd tell you that she would like to _ride_ into the fields? Would you say, no problem, do it? Or would you rather say, no, it's too dangerous, you could get unseated?"  
Alana clenched her teeth. She grumbled.  
"See." Ash grinned and turned to Kayla. "Carriage, Sweetie!"  
Kayla rolled her eyes but followed him toward the carriage that Dockson had ordered to be prepared.  
Alana still stood beside her horse and grumbled.  
"I just worry for you," he said softly.  
She looked up and met his eyes. "Why can't you just say so instead of arguing with me?"  
He thought about that. "I don't know. You never complained about it. Guess it was kind of a game between us."  
She frowned and finally sighed. "Let us go to the carriage."  
   
It took them almost two hours until the road ended. Ash climbed off the driver's seat. "You've reached your ultimate destination. Rest of the way is to walk," he said.  
Alana rolled her eyes and he winked at her. He helped her out of the carriage as well as his wife.  
Dockson dismounted. "We should take the carriage horses with us, just in case," he mentioned.  
Ash nodded and unharnessed the horses. He fetched the packed tents from the carriage and fastened both on the horsebacks. This way it wasn't necessary to carry them as well. When he was done everyone grabbed a backpack and then they followed Ash who marched ahead. It took them more than another hour until they reached the cave.  
"Let's set up camp now," Dockson suggested. "Then we don't have to worry about it later in case the mists will be out early."  
"Good idea," Ash agreed.  
They made camp and prepared a campfire. Afterwards they climbed over the rocks to the cave entrance. They had brought oil lamps and lit them. Ash walked ahead followed by Alana, Kayla and then Dockson. They had to walk one after another given that the entrance was not very wide. It took them not long until they reached the huge cavern.  
Alana held her lamp high to study the structures. "That is amazing," she said.  
"Wait until you see the lake." Ash smiled.  
"How large might that be?" she asked.  
"Approximately two hundred feet in diameter," Dockson said.  
"Two hundred? That is huge."  
"Not as huge as the Venture Grand Hall," he replied.  
Ash watched his sister. There had been something in her eyes for a short moment. Had the name triggered a memory? After all it was the place where Dockson almost had been killed by a koloss before her eyes.  
Alana looked up. "We went downwards. How deep might we be?"  
"About fifty feet underground," Dockson said.  
Alana turned, confused. "How do you know?"  
"Simple mathematics. We walked hundred fifty feet roughly, in an angle of about twenty degrees. That means we have to be some fifty feet underground."  
She raised her eyebrows. "Simple mathematics?" she repeated doubtfully.  
Dockson smiled mischievously and Ash couldn't suppress a chuckle.  
"You are teasing me, aren't you?"  
Dockson shook his head. "Numbers are my speciality. After all I am a bureaucrat." He shrugged smiling.  
Alana rolled her eyes. "I was never good with numbers."  
"That's what you have me for." He winked at her.  
She chuckled and shook her head. "Fortunately," she said quietly.  
Ash realized the surprised look in Dockson's face. _I don't know if she starts to remember him but anyway, it's a good start._ He smiled. "Do you want to see the lake," he asked.  
The others nodded and followed him as he ducked into one of the outgoing corridors. Soon they reached the lake. Ash turned and watched the others. All three stood with open mouths.  
"That is so beautiful," Kayla said eventually.  
"You said it is fresh-water?" Dockson asked.  
Ash nodded. "I guess it is fed by one of the springs of Lake South Searan."  
"That means we have a clean resource of fresh-water. That might be important if the ashfalls increase more."  
"Could you for one moment stop to think practical and just enjoy the beauty?" Alana asked softly.  
Dockson looked at her and then smiled deeply. "You are right."  
She returned that smile.  
 _Yes, you definitely are on the right way._ Ash smiled as well, congratulating himself for the idea to explore the cave with them instead of alone.  
   
They had split up. The women analysed the lichen while the men actually explored the cave. There were five more corridors leaving the main cavern. Two of them lead to smaller caverns that still were large. Dockson guessed that they were about eighty feet in diameter. Those caverns didn't contain any lichen. He supposed the reason was that the walls were completely dry. He would have to tell Alana about that, later. Perhaps she could use the information.  
He followed Ash through the next corridor. Suddenly the tall man paused. In front of them the corridor parted into two corridors. Ash marked the corridor they came from with the word 'main' and followed the right corridor. They walked for a few minutes until they reached a small cavern. A few beams of sunlight were visible on the cavern walls. Dockson looked up and saw a small hole in the ceiling, about a hundred feet above their heads.  
"I guess now we know where the fresh air comes from. I already wondered about it," Dockson said.  
"You're right. It should have smelled mouldy." Ash nodded.  
There was no other exit from that cavern so they turned and walked back to the fork. Ash marked the corridor with the word 'air'. They followed the second corridor and reached short after another cavern. It was almost as large as the main cavern. A corridor led away from it and they followed this one. Two minutes later, they arrived in a cavern with a lake.  
"Is this a different lake or the same?"  
"I don't think it's the same, except the two basins are connected by an underground canal. But it doesn't really matter. Important is that each of the larger caverns has its own water supply," Dockson said.  
Ash turned and studied him. "What are you thinking about?"  
"Perhaps I'm too much a thief, still. But this would make a perfect lair for a larger group of people. It would have been a good place for our rebel army, though it might have been too small."  
"How many men did you have in your army?"  
"We had planned to gather ten thousand, but finally we had only seven thousand men." Dockson grimaced as he remembered the end of the army. He hadn't seen the battlefield but Kelsier had told him. And he had seen too many people die so he easily could imagine the slaughter.  
"What happened?" Ash asked.  
"Yeden, the leader of the rebellion, decided to test the army and attacked a garrison near the caves where we hid them. They succeeded but didn't expect the reinforcements. They got themselves slaughtered. Only a small part of the army had stayed in the caves and survived. We were down to a couple hundred men."  
Ash winced. "That's why you didn't use the army in the end?" he asked.  
Dockson nodded solemnly. "However, this cave is much better than the caves we used back then, at least as for the water supply and possible storage caverns."  
"Perhaps, but I know no purpose."  
"You never know." Dockson shrugged.  
They returned to the main cavern. Alana and Kayla were gone. A message lay on the ground. Ash read it.  
"They returned to the camp to use the remaining sunlight for some tests."  
" _Remaining_ sunlight?" Dockson pulled his pocket watch out. Surprised he raised his eyebrows. "I haven't realized that we have spent hours in here already."  
"We should check the last corridor and then join them," Ash suggested.  
Dockson nodded. They followed the last corridor and found another air tube. That meant they had three ventilation openings including the cave entrance. When they were done they left the cave and walked back to the camp.  
   


### » 59 «

   
Kayla had prepared a simple meal that they ate silently. The mists had returned very early this afternoon. They were glad that they had prepared anything already. The women had analysed the lichen as good as possible, but their findings had raised more questions. They would have to do further research back at the manor.  
Ash and Dockson had reported what they had found. Apparently the cave was a good hideout for a large group of people. Dockson had calculated that the caves could support about one and a half up to two thousand people with the appropriate amount of food stored in the two dry caverns. Sanitation would be the bigger problem, but nothing they needed to think about right now.  
After the evening meal they sat around the campfire and Kayla cuddled into Ash's arms. All of them lost in their own thoughts. Covertly Alana watched Dockson. He didn't wear his usual suit. He had switched to a simple beige shirt and brown trousers. The clothing fit him pretty well. _He should wear that more often. It makes him look less prim,_ she thought. _Less like a nobleman._ That thought made her frown. _Why would I prefer that? I am a noblewoman. Shouldn't I prefer the noble suit?_ She glanced at Ash. He never wore a suit. _He said we grew up together. And he is a half-blood and was raised as a skaa. Is that the reason that I prefer more mundane clothing? But Markes wore suits and I liked it._ It confused her.  
She sighed and thought about the things Ash had told her about Dockson. Dockson himself had told her some things already, but had left out details like that he had been member of a thieving crew for instance. They had a mutual friend named Ham, he had mentioned before. A skaa Pewterarm who had taught her anything she knew about pewter burning. Dockson had helped them from time to time, protecting them during their nightly excursions and organizing things they needed.  
Eventually they had started a relationship, although they had known that it was without future. But it hadn't kept them from falling in love. Finally she had returned to South Searan and left him behind. She had never told him who she really was because he hated the nobility. And she had been afraid that he would hate her for that. A few months after her return they had discovered that she was pregnant.  
About a decade later she had returned to the capital with Ash, Kayla and Winslow. After first problems she and Dockson had found back together, still loving each other. During a koloss attack she had saved his life but he got severely wounded and couldn't walk for several months. They had returned to South Searan together, leaving their friend Ham and his family behind.  
Frustrated Alana bit her bottom lip. _Why don't I remember?_ She blinked back her tears. _He loves me so much. I can see it in his eyes every time when he looks at me. And I just don't remember. If I could remember my feelings for him at least._ She clenched her teeth. Ash's stories hadn't helped. He didn't know much about their first time in Luthadel but even his stories about the time after hadn't brought back any memories. Nevertheless it had given her a different view at Dockson. Apparently he wasn't the boring nobleman and bureaucrat he seemed to be at first sight. _It all would be easier if I could ask myself!_ She paused. _Ask myself?_  
"Have I kept a diary?" she asked loudly.  
The others looked up. Ash frowned. "I don't know," he said thoughtful.  
Kayla shook her head. "Not that I know."  
"I doubt it," Dockson finally said.  
"Why?"  
"It could have gotten you killed. If Straff had found it . . ." He didn't finish.  
Alana frowned at him. Whatever he tried to imply she didn't understand it. She had no memory of Straff Venture. They had told her that he had been the one who had killed Markes but his face still was blurry in her memory of that day. And there was no other memory about him. But about one thing Dockson was right. It could have gotten her killed. Relationships between skaa and nobility had been forbidden by death penalty. Noblemen could sleep with skaa women but they had to kill them afterwards. A noblewoman sleeping with a skaa man was unthinkable.  
She definitely hadn't kept a diary. And _if_ it wouldn't contain any of the things she wanted to know about. That meant she couldn't ask herself. She sighed. But there was one other person who knew the details of their relationship. She looked at Dockson. _I could ask him._  
Kayla stretched her muscles. "I think I'll call it a day," she said. "Good night." She gave Ash a kiss.  
Alana could see how Ash followed his wife with his eyes, longing in his gaze. "Go with her," she heard herself say.  
Surprised the men looked at her.  
"I am sure Dockson will be a perfect gentleman tonight," she added.  
It earned her a thankful smile from Ash. "Good night then," he said and hurried after Kayla.  
A moment was silence at the campfire. "Perfect gentleman, hum?" Dockson eventually said.  
"Is that too much to ask for?" she replied.  
He looked at her for a while, meeting her eyes.  
She saw wistfulness in his. It saddened her heart. "I am sorry," she said. "I can't be the woman you want me to be. Not yet."  
He took a deep breath. "I know. I have to apologize. I didn't want to pressure you. But it is hard for me. However, I'm glad that you remember Enya and, above all, that you survived the attack."  
Alana smiled at him. "Do you think I can ask you some questions, questions about our past?"  
He hesitated but then nodded.  
She stood and walked over, seating herself next to him, but far away enough not to tempt him.  
"What would you like to know?" he asked quietly.  
"Good question. I don't know where to start." She smiled apologetic. "Ash told me some things about us, some more details, but he could only tell from what I had told him before."  
"I see."  
She looked up and met his eyes again. "You have been a thief, why did you help Kayla and me? I mean, you didn't do it just because of Ham, did you?"  
He shrugged. "First it was a deal between us. At Kell's we didn't have much room. Ham allowed me to use your place to do my paperwork. You offered me an own room eventually and in return I taught you how to use a dagger and accompanied you when Ham was away."  
Alana frowned. "That is an unfair trade-off."  
Dockson chuckled. "I didn't mind." He smiled. "It gave me the opportunity to do something good, to help my people."  
She hesitated. "How did it happen? I mean, between us," she asked quietly, uncertain.  
Again he met her eyes for quite a while. "We fought."  
She raised her eyebrows incredulously. It made him laugh softly.  
"Really, we did. You were pretty angry that night about a nobleman who had left his wife alone while she was sick, what caused the death of her unborn baby. Back then I felt only hatred for the nobility. I didn't know that you are a noblewoman. I reacted cynical and offended you. You ran away and I followed you to apologize." He exhaled softly and she could see wistfulness again. "You asked me why I hate nobility and I told you. You were shocked, more than I expected. Today I know why. However, I tried to comfort you and . . ." He swallowed. "Then we kissed." He fell silent, looking away.  
Alana saw something on his face reflecting the fire. Tears!  
"We should get some sleep," he said quietly, without meeting her eyes again. He stood without awaiting any consent and entered the tent.  
For a moment Alana stayed at the campfire, staring into the flames. Finally she stood as well and followed him.  
Dockson already lay on his mattress, wrapped in a blanket. He didn't move. Alana lay down on the second mattress, turned to the side and pulled the blanket to her chin. She stared at the tent's wall. The flames from the campfire let shadows dance on it. Alana thought about what he had told her. His tears in the end had shocked her. _Why don't I remember? I want to remember!_ She fought back her own tears of frustration, but then sobbed quietly.  
"You okay?" Dockson asked softly.  
"I want to remember," she whispered. "Why can't I remember?" Now she sobbed hard.  
She heard him move and suddenly she felt his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace. First she wanted to break free, but then she turned and hid her face at his chest. She felt the warmth of his body and his protecting arms around her. She closed her eyes and let down her guard.  
   


### » 60 «

   
When Alana woke up she paused. She lay in Dockson's arms. He was sleeping on his back and she was cuddled against his naked chest, his muscular arms around her. For a moment she hesitated. She felt save, protected, and above all it felt good. After a while she freed herself from his arms anyway and sat up. Still confused she looked down at him and tried to remember what happened the evening before. She was dressed what meant they hadn't slept with each other.  
 _He has comforted me while I was crying_ , she remembered. _I must have fallen asleep in his arms._  
She watched him. He was not the kind of man who struck a woman at a ball with his good look. He was rather average. Only his unusual half-beard made him stand out. She cocked her head and studied his body. He had a broad chest with strong muscles, but different from those of her brother. While Ash was beefy, Dockson was of moderately stocky built. It was the typical build of a skaa, broad and sturdily, strong enough to withstand rough work or treatment. But Dockson was taller than the usual skaa, what made him look less stout. He was not as tall as Ash, who was a half-blood after all with a father who was even tall among the nobility, but taller than Harris.  
Alana winced. The memory of her old friend's death still hurt. He and Dockson had so much in common, the same physique, the same features, even the same eyes. Was that the reason she had fallen in love with him back then? Because he had reminded her of Harris, a skaa she loved from the deepest of her heart? She sighed.  
A long scar went along his chest coming down from his left shoulder. His left arm also showed a long scar down to his wrist. She wondered where he had gotten those. The scars didn't seem to be that old, perhaps a year. _That must have happened in Luthadel._ She remembered what Ash had told her about the koloss attack and that she had run back to protect Dockson. She had risked her life for him. She didn't remember.  
 _Why can't I just fall in love with you again? Everything would be fine then. And Enya would be happy._ She caressed her baby belly and blinked away the rising tears. Dockson began to move. Thereupon Alana stood and left the tent.  
The mists were still present although the sun had risen already. Alana added some logs to the embers and poked until flames licked the wood. She prepared a breakfast from what was left from the evening meal. She heard a tent's cover flap back but didn't turn.  
"Good morning," Dockson said softly.  
She looked up and met his kind eyes. "Good morning," she replied. "Are you hungry?"  
He nodded. She prepared a plate and handed it to him. "Will you join me?" he asked.  
For a moment she wavered but then she nodded. He had been a perfect gentleman after all, even if it had been different than she had meant. She prepared a second plate and sat down next to him.  
They ate silently, picking the food with their forks, watching the flames.  
"Thank you," Alana said eventually.  
"For what?"  
"For comforting me, for not exceeding the limits, for not trying to kiss me. Shall I go on?"  
He chuckled and his eyes twinkled. "No. I got it."  
Alana laid her hand on his forearm. "I really mean that. I gave you more than just an opportunity."  
He grew serious again. "Even if it is hard for me, I respect your wishes. You have to make the first move."  
She nodded and they went on to eat silently.  
"I have only one request," he suddenly said. "Or rather two requests."  
She gave him a questioning look.  
"I would like to be at your side when the babies are born. And I would like to spent time with them afterwards, play with them, and even swaddle them. I didn't have that chance with Enya. I want to see them grow up. I want them to know and to feel that I am their father. They are my children after all."  
She studied him for a moment. He returned her look with a sincere expression. Eventually she nodded. "I agree."  
He smiled relieved.  
   


### » 61 «

   
The parlour was dimly lit. Only two of the room's oil lamps were burning. Alana sat in an armchair beneath one of them, reading a book about blood diseases. In the bay stood a smaller table used for games, where Enya and Dellin played Regrac. Dellin was winning what frustrated Enya terribly. Alana watched them from time to time, smiling.  
"You know, your book topics are rather depressing."  
Alana looked up and met Dockson's eyes. He smiled and let a stack of ledgers drop on the main table.  
"Why is it depressing to read up on treatable diseases?"  
"You read about _diseases_. Other women read novels."  
"I am not other women."  
"No, fortunately." He smiled. "Do you mind if I join you?"  
"If I can go on with reading my book."  
"That's fine with me. I need to do some paperwork myself."  
"Why don't you do that in your study?"  
He shrugged. "A study is a nice place to work but it has one disadvantage." He sat down and met her eyes again. "You usually don't have your family around."  
Surprised she raised her eyebrows. "I have never seen it that way."  
He smiled and shrugged again. "You sit here and read a book about blood diseases. You could do that in _your_ study."  
"I---" She paused and then chuckled. "You are right."  
Alana returned to her book but couldn't focus on the text anymore. She glanced over at Dockson. Something was different, besides that he sat there on the table, doing his paperwork amidst them. _His coat and vest are missing_ , she suddenly realized. He was wearing a nobleman's shirt only, the upper two buttons opened. It made him look relaxed, or at least less formal.  
"You should do that more often," she said quietly.  
Dockson looked up. "What do you mean?"  
"The way you dress today. It makes you look less---prim."  
He frowned. "I look prim when I wear vest and coat?"  
Alana nodded. "It is appropriate when you are at a meeting, or for an official occasion. But you should be more casual in private."  
He smiled sheepishly. "To be honest, I'm still not used to live in a manor amidst high nobility while I'm _not_ at a scam. I've never experienced noble casual life."  
"You lived at Keep Venture for about a year as far as I know, among your friends."  
"In a way my life at Keep Venture was nothing else but a scam. I never felt at home there."  
She frowned. "Do you feel at home here?"  
He met her eyes and she saw wistfulness. "You never complained about the suits," he just said quietly.  
Her frown deepened. "I don't remember why. I only can tell you what I think _now_." She couldn't suppress the bitterness in her voice.  
He winced. "Yes, I feel at home here," he said then. "But it is different to the life I used to live with Kell before the Collapse."  
"Why does it have to be different? This is your home now. You should dress the way _you_ like. Or have you ever seen Ash wearing a suit coat?"  
He shook his head and chuckled. "Not in private. You are right."  
"Daddy!" Enya fell around her father's neck.  
Surprised he embraced her. "Hey, Sweetie. How is your game going?"  
"Frustrating." She pouted.  
"Why that?"  
"Dellin is always winning."  
"Then you should train more, until you are better than him."  
"Will you train with me?"  
He looked at his ledgers, frowning. "Let me finish this and then we can play. Is that a deal?"  
The girl nodded eagerly.  
"Good." He smiled, but Enya let her arms around his necks. "Um, as much as I love to have you in my arms, Sweetie, I need my hands to do my work." He smiled fondly.  
Enya rolled her eyes but let him go. Dockson gave her a kiss on her cheek.  
"Mommy, will you play with me until he is done?"  
Alana looked at her book and back at her daughter, undecided. Finally she sighed. Dockson's presence made her somewhat uncomfortable what meant she wouldn't be able to read anyway.  
"But what do we do with Dellin?"  
Dellin simply shrugged. "I don't mind to watch."  
"He can play with us when Daddy is ready to play. Then we are four," Enya suggested and tried to pull her to her feet.  
Alana chuckled. "Very well, then." She stood and went over to the gaming table.  
   


### » 62 «

   
The corridor lay quiet. It was late and most people had gone to bed already. But Dockson heard voices coming from the end of the hallway. He followed the voices and found the door to the shared study of his wife and his father-in-law only ajar. Therefrom he could peek inside without being seen. Kayla and Alana stood at a round table in the centre of the room. Papers lay on it. The women frowned deeply.  
"How did I do that before I lost my memory?" Alana sounded frustrated.  
"I don't know. We never did such an extended research before. Perhaps your father can help."  
"I didn't have the impression that he is the kind of man for numbers. I guess I am his daughter in that."  
Kayla chuckled. "Not only in that."  
Alana frowned at her. "What do you mean?"  
"Nothing. It's just, the more I know you two the merrier I see how much you are alike."  
"Such as?"  
"The same stubbornness for instance."  
"I am not stubborn," Alana protested.  
"No? I am sure Ash and Ham would disagree. And Dox too." Kayla chuckled.  
Alana rolled her eyes. "It doesn't help us with that." She pointed at the table.  
"Maybe I can help." Dockson entered the room.  
His wife turned, startled.  
"Hey Dox!" Kayla smiled at him. She seemed not surprised at all. He was sure that she had known of his presence before.  
"Do you spy on us?" Alana asked, a little snappy. She was definitely deeply frustrated. She was always tetchy then.  
"No. My study is a few doors away. I heard voices and decided to have a look." He gave her his version of a disarming smile.  
Alana slowly took a deep breath. "Sorry. It is just . . ."  
"Frustrating?" he offered.  
She nodded. "We have spent two weeks to collect data, and now we have lots of numbers but I have no idea how to analyse them. I am no statistician."  
"Why, you don't have to be. You are a healer. You have other people to take care of these things."  
"Like whom?"  
"Scribes or bureaucrats, people who have a hand for numbers."  
She rolled her eyes. Kayla nudged her. Alana looked at her frowning and the Tineye nodded at him. Thereupon she met his eyes. Dockson smiled and gave her a 'Just ask' look.  
"You said numbers are your speciality, didn't you?" she asked carefully. "I mean, back at the cave."  
He nodded and his smile deepened.  
"Could you . . ." She gestured at the papers. ". . . have a look at it, please?"  
"If you ask so nicely." He grinned and walked over to the table.  
Dockson skimmed through the records and studied the numbers. After a couple minutes he had gotten an overview, and he was impressed. They had collected quite a bunch of data. That wouldn't be a matter of minutes to analyse those.  
"That might take a while to analyse," he said loud. "And I need to know what you wanted to find out with your tests."  
"I make you a list." Alana hurried to her desk to fetch pen and paper.  
"Bring your chair over as well if you want to stay. That might be a long night," he said.  
Alana paused and turned. "You think you can analyse all tonight?"  
"Depends on the results you want to have. It might also take several days. You have lots of data we can analyse."  
"Can you spare that time?" She asked uncertain.  
"Well, the plantation worked fine without me before, I think they'll survive a couple days without my help." He winked at her.  
Alana grinned and turned back to her desk to fetch the writing utensils.  
Dockson met Kayla's eyes. She winked at him, smiling.  



	13. Chapter 4 - Part 3

### » 63 «

   
Snow had fallen during the night. It was the first snow this year. It had been chilly since a couple weeks already and Dockson had started to fear for the winter crops. It wasn't as chilly as he knew it from Luthadel but still too cold for the crops.  
Their fall crop had yielded a large harvest and they had been able to store lots of food. With the meat and milk from the livestock they could easily cover the next year and they actually had been able to sell part of the harvest for a good price since most of the other plantations hadn't had such a good one. It made Dockson smile. His plan had worked.  
He stood at the window and viewed the changed landscape. Everything was covered with a thick white layer of snow. The snow would protect the young crops from frost. If his plan worked again they would have another large harvest in spring. But that mostly depended on the weather.  
Alana joined him. "It looks beautiful, doesn't it?" she said.  
Dockson looked to the side and watched her. She stood with hollow back to keep the balance. The massive baby belly made it hard to stand, to walk and even to sit for her. But she hated to lie around. She always complained that she had problems to get up again. Thanks to her pewter she still was able to walk around. Kayla already had to stay in bed.  
" _You_ look beautiful," he replied softly.  
She looked at him incredulously. "I am so fat I barely can walk. How can I be beautiful?"  
"You aren't fat, you are pregnant. And it makes you glow. I think you're very beautiful."  
She sighed. "That must be something about the father-to-be hormones. Ash also thinks that Kayla is beautiful."  
Dockson chuckled. "You don't think so?"  
"She is as fat as I am."  
He laughed. "Do all women complain about that when they are pregnant?"  
"Usually."  
"Do they ever believe their husbands when they tell them that they look beautiful?"  
Now she chuckled. "No."  
"I'm relieved to hear that." He winked at her.  
Their relationship had gotten much better since that night about two months ago after they had explored the cave. Still it wasn't the way he wished but they were more relaxed now. The tensions were gone almost completely. They even fooled around together again, although it often stopped when they came too close to a point where he wanted to kiss her. She always pulled away then. But she allowed him to embrace her and he even got a peck on his cheek from time to time. He hadn't been able to follow Kayla's suggestion to accompany Alana when she went out to help skaa, because she wasn't able to do so anymore. Since about a month she scarcely left the house at all.  
"The snow makes everything so peaceful," she suddenly said.  
"Hum?" He looked out of the window again. "Yes, that's true." He sighed. "There rarely was snow in Luthadel, more slush than snow, but it never has been white. It always was grey from ash," he replied.  
"White looks nice."  
"Definitely better than brown and black."  
She nodded.  
"Mare thought that before the Lord Ruler fought the deepness, before the Ascension, plants were green and on those plants grew colourful flowers."  
"Mare?"  
"Kelsier's wife."  
"I see. Why did she think so?"  
"She had a picture of a colourful flower she loved." He sighed in remembrance. "There is a Terrisman, Sazed. He is a keeper, recording anything like events, papers, books and so on. You met him in Luthadel last time. He knew all the forgotten religions. One was about the Larsta." He paused and tried to remember the details. "The Larsta were artists and they created lots of pictures, sculptures, poems and similar to depict the things around them. Mare chose that religion as her own. She loved everything pre-Ascension and collected lots of papers and pictures. She loved that particular picture of the flower most."  
"Describe it, please," Alana asked. "The flower, I mean."  
He tried to remember. "It was delicate, not like the plants we know. It had a thin stalk, with fine green leaves. Other even more delicate leaves were centred in the middle of the stalk. They had a different colour. Mare said the flowers even had a pleasant smell. The Larsta told about it in their poems."  
"That sounds beautiful," she smiled. "What colour had that flower?"  
"I can't tell. The picture was old and faded."  
She nodded and looked out of the window again. "I am afraid the white will change to grey soon with the ashfalls lately," she sighed. "Why do we have so much ash recently? There are no ashmounts near. They are all surrounding the Central Dominance according to my father. Ash says we never had ash during our childhood. He got his name from an ash flake because it was so rare back then."  
"I guess the mountains are more active and the ash drifts with the wind south."  
"I don't like ashfalls. I want that the snow remains white."  
They grew silent and looked out of the window. After a couple minutes Dockson glanced at Alana. He frowned. She had her eyes closed and was breathing heavily.  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
It took a moment until she opened her eyes again. The breathing normalised. "I guess someone would like to see the white snow too," she said, smiling deeply.  
For a moment he was confused. But then he understood. His eyes widened. "You're in labour?"  
She nodded.  
Suddenly he was pretty nervous. "You should lie down. Do you need something to drink? Shall I call your father?" he sputtered.  
"Dox!" She laid her hand on his arm and smiled deeply. "Keep cool. It is just the beginning. We still have plenty of time."  
"Are you sure?"  
She nodded.  
"Wouldn't it be better you lie down, anyway?"  
She rolled her eyes but smiled. "Why do I have the sudden feeling that this is going to be a very long day?"  
"Perhaps because your husband is going to die the next hours," he replied nervously.  
"I thought you are a very calm person."  
"I can scam the nobility, I can face the Lord Ruler, and I even can manage a city defence against a koloss army. But I'm afraid I won't be of any help the next hours." He looked at her lost.  
Alana chuckled. "Does it make you feel better if I tell you that this is normal?"  
"What is normal? The birth process?"  
She laughed. "Yes, that too. But I meant that fathers-to-be usually are pretty nervous and feel terribly helpless."  
"It doesn't make me feel better. Because I _already_ feel helpless and it hasn't even started."  
She laughed again. "If you want to help me, just stay with me. Let me feel your company. Be there if I need someone to shout at, when I need someone to hold me, and when I need someone to reassure me. And just let my father do his work," she told him eventually. "Stay out of his way."  
Dockson nodded. Still, he felt as if the world was spinning around him. Again she closed her eyes and breathed heavily. "Can I do something?" he asked worried.  
She just shook her head without opening her eyes.  
"Hold you?"  
Again she shook her head. Finally she opened her eyes again. "When I start to latch onto you, then you can hold me. Until then just give me some space."  
He bit his bottom lip. "You're sure?"  
Alana sighed. "You can hold my hand. But be warned. I am still burning pewter."  
He nodded, but then perked up. "What do you mean with _still_?"  
"If my pewter runs out I will not replenish my reserves."  
"Why that?" He looked at her confused.  
"When I burn pewter during the actual birth I could hurt the children. I will have to go through it like every other mother-to-be."  
"Why could you hurt the children when you burn pewter?" he asked.  
"I would push too hard. Let's assume the baby is stuck in my pelvis. Then it needs to turn first before it can move on. If I would burn pewter in that moment and push I would hurt it."  
"Then you shouldn't burn pewter."  
"That is what I said." She smiled.  
He shook his head, still confused. "Why do you remember these things? I mean you remember nothing, but you still know anything about healing."  
"It is like walking or riding or even talking, I guess. I learned it once and it is automated. I even remember my training but I don't see the faces of the people or hear their words. I just know what I learned there."  
Dockson frowned. He still didn't understand.  
"You could say, that memory is stored in a different storehouse. A storehouse I still have the key to."  
He looked at her surprised and smiled then. "I love it when you explain things with analogies from my profession."  
She smiled back. Then she looked out of the window again. Dockson glanced at her over and over, terribly nervous. Suddenly she took a deep breath and closed her eyes again.  
Dockson took her hand and almost regretted it. _Yes, she definitely is burning pewter_ , he thought, trying to ignore the pain in his hand while she pressed it. He was relieved when the pressure decreased. He moved his fingers to help the blood return.  
"Perhaps you should wait with that until my pewter runs out." Alana grinned.  
Dockson grimaced. He had assisted her with births in Luthadel but he had never realised how hard it was, although the women sometimes had screamed in pain. Now he began to understand the men back then.  
 _This is going to be the toughest day in my life._  
   


### » 64 «

   
She had decided to stay on her feet. The birth would be hard, she had said, given that there were two babies. Standing she could help the babies to come out. Dockson wasn't happy about it. He would have preferred if she had lain down. Now he stood behind her, his arms around her chest over her belly, holding her. She leaned against him.  
Her pewter had run out an hour ago. Dockson had thought the hours before had been hard but now he knew they just had been a warm up. It had been the longest hour of his life and they still weren't done. Alana's labour pain now came in very short intervals. He felt how she tensed and then heard her groan loudly again. He held her tight. Her father knelt in front of them, checking her state from time to time.  
"Okay, Alana, it is time now," he suddenly said.  
Dockson's eyes widened and his heart dropped. Alana simply nodded. With the next labour he could feel how she pushed. Her groaning grew even louder. He closed his eyes and concentrated on holding her. The next wave came and she pushed again.  
"Dox!" she suddenly whispered between two labours.  
"I'm here," he said. "I'm right here."  
"Dox, I---" Her words were cut off by the next labour. She pushed again.  
Dockson heard people suddenly bustling around and opened his eyes. Elyria was carrying a small bundle of a human being to the water bowl. It seemed odd given that she was pregnant herself. But she still had a few more weeks to go. For her age she was in really good shape and the pregnancy went well.  
"Dox, I do---" The next labour cut Alana off again.  
"Everything is fine, love," he said. "One more to go."  
"But I---"  
"Shh," he made. "You can tell me later. One baby is out. Elyria is caring for it."  
She nodded and pushed again.  
It took five more labours until the second baby was out as well as the afterbirth. Alana slumped into his arms, totally exhausted. He lifted her carefully and brought her to the bed. Then he sat down next to her, caressing her face.  
"You made it," he whispered.  
"How are they?" she asked barely audible, her eyes closed. She was completely exhausted.  
Dockson turned his head and looked at Brandon. The man smiled deeply and nodded.  
"They are fine," Dockson replied relieved. He could see a relieved expression in her face as well.  
A moment later Elyria approached them carrying one of the babies. It was wrapped in a cloth. Enna followed her with the other baby.  
"Enya was right. They are a boy and a girl." Elyria smiled deeply. "And they are healthy." The child in her arms made a smacking sound. "Your son is pretty hungry, it seems."  
Elyria handed the boy to Alana. She helped her to bare her breast and positioned the baby. Immediately the boy searched for the nipple and started to drink. Alana smiled happily.  
Enna approached Dockson and handed him his daughter. He held her carefully. "She is so small," he said softly, blinking away the tears in his eyes. He studied his little daughter. She already had dark hair on her head and big eyes watched him curious. "Hey, Sweetie," he whispered.  
"Have you thought about names already," Brandon asked.  
Suddenly Dockson realized that he hadn't talked to Alana about it since she had lost her memory. He looked at her.  
She met his eyes and smiled. "Markes and Kareien," she said.  
Dockson's eyes widened surprised. _How does she know? We haven't talked about Kareien again. How does she know her name?_ His eyes widened even more as he realized a possible reason. "Do you remember?" he asked carefully.  
Alana's smile deepened. "That was what I tried to tell you earlier," she replied. "I remember. I remember everything."  
"You . . . do?" He stared at her, uncertain.  
She chuckled and grabbed his collar. Then she pulled him down and kissed him. He felt her lips on his and felicity washed over him.  
"I love you," Alana said after she let him go again.  
He smiled deeply. "I love you too, Al."  
"You are crying," she noted smiling.  
"I know." He laughed quietly.  
Suddenly he realized the silence around them. He looked up and saw their three companions standing before them, smiling deeply. He wiped his tears away.  
"I guess, the birth's emotional pressure was strong enough to break your memory free," Brandon said.  
Alana smiled and looked down at their son. Dockson followed her gaze. He had stopped sucking and seemed asleep.  
"Let us switch," she said and freed Markes from her breast.  
Dockson put the girl next to her and took the boy. He didn't open his eyes when he held him. "Is that normal," he asked, confused.  
"Yes, it is. When they are asleep they just sleep. No matter what happens around them," Alana said.  
"Lady Lyddy will be pleased if she hears his name," Elyria said. "But where does the name Kareien come from?"  
Dockson and Alana shared a look. He nodded approvingly.  
"Markes was my first love and Kareien was Dockson's first love," Alana explained. "They both live on in our hearts and now with their names in our children." She looked at her father. "That should be familiar to you." She winked at him.  
Brandon chuckled.  
Elyria looked confused and then eyed her husband.  
"You have never told her?" Alana looked at him surprised.  
He flushed. "No."  
She tisked. "Shame on you!"  
"You haven't told me _what_?" Elyria asked.  
"You haven't been the first skaa woman in his life," Alana said grinning.  
"Brandon, I think we should talk. Now!" the woman said. She grabbed Brandon's arm and pulled him away.  
Alana chuckled.  
"You know, that was kind of mean," Dockson said.  
"If he forgets to tell his wife about such an important event, important for both of them, then it is his own fault." She shrugged.  
"Still mean."  
Alana cocked her head. "Is there something _you_ haven't told me yet?"  
Dockson flushed. "No!" he replied. She just looked at him and he felt the heat in his face increase. "You have been the first noblewoman I fell in love with," he added.  
Her eyebrow went up. "You fell in love with? That means you _have_ slept with other noblewomen?"  
He looked at Enna and signalled her to leave them alone. When the woman had left the room, he sighed and nodded. "I had to during some scams."  
Alana frowned.  
"I haven't slept with other women while we were together," he said quietly. "Neither noble nor skaa."  
She closed her eyes. "I am sorry," she whispered. "I guess my hormones play with my emotions right now."  
Dockson grinned. "Jealous?"  
She nodded.  
"I don't mind. Because it means that you definitely remember your feelings for me." His eyes twinkled mischievously.  
"I don't like the thought that you slept with other women." She grumbled.  
"Well, I remember that you never complained about my experience." He winked at her.  
It made her chuckle. "You are awful."  
"Someone has to make your life miserable." He leaned down to her and kissed her deeply.  
   


### » 65 «

   
Ash left his quarters in a hurry. To his surprise he found his parents in the hallway, talking.  
"Father!" he called.  
Lord Brandon raised his head. "Ash, what's wrong?"  
"Kay's in labour."  
"You are kidding?" Elyria said. She chuckled and shared a look with his father. He smiled as well.  
Ash's eyes went big as he suddenly remembered that his sister had been in labour too. They had sent him out because enough people already were around. With Kayla's starting labour he had completely forgotten it.  
"How is Ally?" he asked immediately.  
Lord Brandon smiled deeply. "She is fine. She has a girl and a boy."  
"Are they okay?"  
He nodded. "There is something else. She remembers."  
Ash gasped in surprise. "Everything?"  
"It seems so."  
Now he was torn apart. On one hand he wanted to go to his sister but on the other hand his wife was in labour.  
"How long are the intervals?" Brandon asked.  
"About four minutes," Ash replied.  
"Then you have enough time. Go and see your sister. I'll check on Kayla."  
Ash grinned and entered Alana's quarters immediately. Enna was on her way out. "Is this a good time?" he asked her.  
"If you don't mind that they are kissing." She smiled.  
"Perhaps they'll do." He grinned broadly. "I don't." He walked over to the sleeping room and entered it. He paused and watched them kissing for a moment. "I know you have a lot to make up for but there are other things important right now. It will have to wait," he said teasing.  
They parted and Dockson rolled his eyes, but Alana smiled deeply. She waved him over.  
He hurried at her side and hugged her tight but careful. "How do you feel?" he asked.  
"Tired, but great." She smiled. "I remember, Ash."  
"About me as well?"  
She nodded. "Everything."  
"Everything? Damn! I had hoped you'd forget certain events."  
She laughed and then caressed his face. "May I introduce our new family members to you?" she asked.  
He nodded.  
"Ash, this is Kareien and the sleeping beauty in Dockson's arms is Markes."  
"Welcome in this world," he said smiling.  
"How is Kay?" Alana asked.  
"She is in labour too. But father said I have enough time to visit you."  
"You should go back to her," Dockson said.  
"Okay, okay!" Ash raised his hands. "I know you want her for yourself."  
Dockson just grinned.  
"If you need something, just call out loud. I'm next door."  
"I know. But you have other things to worry about now. Go and give Kay a hug from me."  
Ash nodded and left them again, smiling deeply. Not only that his sister and her babies were healthy, considering the improbability, she also had regained her memory. He had seen the glow in Dockson's eyes. He could understand his feelings. For him and Alana it had been easier to fall back into their normal behaviour. They were brother and sister, but for Dockson and Alana it had been almost impossible. Ash knew that Dockson had done everything to make her fall in love with him again. But that hadn't been easy, although their relationship had gotten better and better over the weeks.  
He hurried back to his own quarters. Kayla groaned the moment he entered. He rushed over to comfort her.  
"How is Ally?" she asked him after the pain was gone again.  
"She is fine. I shall give you a hug from her."  
"Then do so," she said smiling.  
He hugged her. "Have they told you already?" He nodded at Brandon and Elyria.  
"They told me the children are fine. It's unbelievable. I never thought they'd survive and later I was afraid they'd be sick."  
"Ally remembers." He simply said.  
"What? That is great!" She cheered. "Dox must be perfectly happy."  
"He is. They threw me out downright, can you believe that?" He laughed.  
Kayla didn't answer. The next labour washed over her. Suddenly she screamed.  
Appalled Ash looked at his father. He hurried over immediately and removed the cover. The bed was full with dark red blood that welled out between her legs. Brandon cursed.  
"What's going on?" Ash asked, horrified.  
"We have a placental abruption," he said. "Elyria, I need boiled water and Enna shall come. I need to do an abdominal delivery, immediately."  
Dockson entered the room. "What's wrong?" he asked. "We heard the screaming."  
Brandon ignored him. "Kay, can you hear me?"  
She nodded.  
"Good. You have understood what I said?"  
She nodded again.  
"Don't worry, everything will be fine." He smiled at her. "You just skip the rest of the labour pain."  
She tried to smile but failed. Ash could see the fear in her eyes. She knew how dangerous her situation was, not only for the children.  
Elyria returned with Enna. Dockson still stood in the doorway, worried. Ash saw how he grabbed for Elyria. She explained it to him. He frowned and nodded. Obviously he had no idea what it meant. But Alana would know when he told her. Dockson left again.  
Brandon prepared a narcotic agent. He gave it Kayla and she swallowed it. Ash heard the door open and a moment later Alana came in. She had thrown a robe over and hurried to Kayla's side.  
"Alana, are you crazy!" Brandon said shocked.  
"You will need any help you can get."  
"You have born children yourself barely an hour ago. You need to stay in bed."  
"Dockson gave me pewter. I am fine." She turned to Kayla and smiled at her. "Pull yourself together! You hear me?"  
Kayla nodded, already dizzy. But Ash could see a hint of relief in her face. He was relieved himself, though he worried for his sister as well as his father. It was crazy. But pewter would keep her going.  
"Good. I want your children to play with mine," Alana added.  
She nodded again but fell asleep soon after.  
Alana looked at her father. Again he gave her a disapproving look. She ignored it. "We should bring her to the examination room," she said calm.  
"She is right," Ash agreed. "I'll carry her." Before his father got the chance to disagree, he carefully lifted his wife and hurried out of the room.  
   
Alana turned to Elyria. "Moomy! Stay with Dox and the babies, please. He will need your help."  
The woman nodded and went to Alana's quarters.  
Alana followed the others along the corridor. She felt her pewter burning comfortably in her stomach. She knew she should be in bed, her father was right. But this was no time for resting. Her friend and her babies, the children of her brother, were in serious danger.  
Dockson had barely been able to hold her in bed when they had heard the scream. She had immediately known that something was terribly wrong. When Dockson had told her then what was going on, she had left the bed. He had tried to stop her again but given in finally. _They are right, I am stubborn._  
Elyria would know where to find her if the babies needed their mother. But both were nursed and exhausted. She figured that they would sleep for at least another hour. Besides it would strengthen the bonding between father and children.  
Ash had already bedded Kayla on the examination table and her father cleaned her. Alana bound her hair new and pinned the braid up to have it out of the way. Then she cleaned herself and joined her father. Again she earned a disapproving look from him.  
"I love you too, Dad," she simply said.  
It made him sigh. "I take the lead," he noted.  
Alana nodded. Enna stood next to her to assist if necessary. Ash stood at Kayla's head, his hands on her shoulders. Alana met his eyes. She saw terrible fear. She nodded at him reassuring.  
It took a couple minutes until they had the first baby out. Alana handed it to Enna who cared for the little girl immediately. The second baby, another girl, had problems. The umbilical cord was wrapped around its neck. Brandon freed the child. It didn't breathe. Alana immediately cared for it herself and made mouth-to-nose insufflation. A few seconds later the baby started to breathe on its own. She checked its vitals and reactions. They were good, fortunately.  
Alana looked up and waved Ash over. "Care for her," she ordered. He was a trained nurse and it would occupy him. Then she returned to her father and Kayla. They removed the afterbirth.  
"I'll do the rest alone," Brandon said. "Look after the babies."  
She nodded and joined Enna. The girl she was caring for was in good shape. The baby yawned. It made Alana smile. She went over to Ash.  
"How is your daughter?"  
"Weak," he said. "But she seems to be hungry." He looked over to his wife, worry in his eyes.  
"She can nurse her anyway." Alana took the baby and brought it to its mother. She freed one of Kayla's breasts and held the baby that it could catch the nipple. First the girl didn't suck it in, but after a few tries it worked. "Hold her," she ordered Ash. "If she lets it go again, start a new try. If she drinks she has a good chance."  
"Do you think she will survive it?"  
Alana looked at her brother. "I don't know," she said truthfully. Then she returned to her father. He was already done and sewed Kayla. "How is she?" she asked.  
"Okay, as far as I can tell now," he replied. "What about her vitals?"  
Alana checked her pulse. It was good. She nodded at her father and smiled at Ash, who seemed relieved. The baby still was drinking. That was a good sign as well.  
"Ash?" Brandon called. "I need you to carry her back to her bed."  
"Let us wait until the baby is done," Alana said.  
Her father nodded. It took a couple more minutes until the baby had fallen asleep.  
Alana took the baby and Ash lifted his wife. They returned to their quarters. Brandon prepared an agent to wake her up, combined with a mild painkiller. Meanwhile they let the other girl drink as well.  
"You have two daughters, brother," Alana said smiling.  
He met her eyes. Still she could see fear. He knew too well that neither the baby nor Kayla were out of danger yet. Sometimes it was a curse to know too much.  
Slowly Kayla began to move. When she opened her eyes, Alana could see some of Ash's tensions disappear. He still worried for his daughter but Kayla would be fine. Alana sighed relieved. Despite her pewter she now felt her strength fading.  
Elyria entered the room and laid her hand on Alana's shoulder. "Your children need you," she said.  
Alana nodded. She gave Ash a kiss on his forehead and left. Her father would take care of anything else. She returned to her own quarters where she found Dockson with the boy in his arms, carrying him around, humming a familiar melody.  
She paused in the doorway and watched him smiling. Her eyes filled with tears. She thought about their first kiss, about their first night together and she even remembered their last night in Luthadel together, the night Enya resulted from. She remembered so many things she had experienced with him. _I remember!_  
Dockson looked up and saw her. He smiled. "I think Markes is hungry again," he said.  
"Let us find it out." She took off her robe and climbed into the bed. She grabbed one of the pillows and put it behind her back to sit more comfortable. Finally, she bared her breast and Dockson handed her Markes. The boy took a moment until he found the right position. Alana smiled at Dockson.  
"How is Kay?" he asked.  
"She is okay. But one of her girls had problems. She drank but we have to wait until tomorrow. Then we will see how she handles it."  
He nodded solemnly.  
"How is Kareien?" Alana asked quietly.  
"She sleeps." He nodded at the baby bed.  
"I would like to have the bed closer to ours."  
Dockson paused and looked at her, a strange expression in his face.  
"What?" she asked.  
"You said _ours_."  
Alana smiled. "I hope you will move back in with me."  
"I would love to."  
"Then go and get what you need."  
"All I need right now I have in this room already."  
She looked at him questioningly.  
"My babies and you."  
   


### » 66 «

   
Dockson sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his temples. Although the babies had slept almost the whole night, only interrupted by two nursing periods, he hadn't slept well. But that was his own fault.  
He hadn't _wanted_ to sleep. He had watched them the whole night, the babies and the woman he had pined for the last months. He was so happy that she remembered him. The last months had deepened his love for her, something he hadn't thought to be possible.  
That time had changed him, for the good he hoped. After Kelsier's death he had been a bureaucrat almost entirely, even here in South Searan. But with Alana's memory loss he had started to fight again, to fight for their love. And the only way to do so, had been to stop being boring. There hadn't been many opportunities to do so, but at least he had stopped to hide in his study the whole day. He had brought his paperwork to her, had spent time with her, discussed his work with her. He had helped her and Kayla with the lichen, doing the calculations for them. Some situations had brought back memories from the past, at least for him. And he had remembered why he had fallen in love with her.  
Suddenly, arms wrapped around his waist from behind and he felt lips on his neck. He turned his head. Alana's face appeared over his shoulder, smiling. She gave him a kiss.  
"Good morning," she whispered.  
He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "Good morning, my love."  
"Were you going to leave me?"  
"I was thinking about breakfast in bed," he replied.  
She smiled deeply. "That's a nice idea." She gave him another kiss.  
Dockson turned and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. "I have missed you so much," he said quietly. "When you left me, back then in Luthadel, I missed you terribly, but the last months were worse. To see you every day, to talk to you, to sometimes have you so close, and still not allowed to touch you, to kiss you." He looked down at her and pulled away a bit. She lifted her face and their eyes met. "It was torture," he whispered.  
"I am so sorry," she replied, a sense of guilt in her eyes. "It was just---"  
He laid his finger on her lips to silence her. Then he bent down and kissed her tenderly, catching her bottom lip with his lips and letting it go slowly just to catch it again. When the tips of their tongues touched gently, he felt his body react. That moment he stopped the kiss. She had given birth the day before. It would take another while until he could taste the rest of her body again.  
Dockson pulled back and stood. "I'll get us something to eat."  
"Will you have a look at Kayla, please?"  
"I'll try. Perhaps they're still sleeping."  
"Dox?"  
"Hum?" He paused in the doorway and turned.  
"I love you!"  
Those simple three words made his heart leap. He smiled deeply.  
   
Alana sighed when he was gone. His words echoed in her mind. _It was torture_. She felt guilty. Why hadn't she been able to let him close? Had it been so hard? Looking back she couldn't understand it. Why had it felt so wrong to her? What had she seen in him that had made it so hard for her? She frowned. The last weeks had been better. But why? What had changed? First she hadn't been able to understand her love for him but the last weeks she had begun to understand. Why?  
She reviewed the months since her memory loss. The first weeks she had barely seen him, although he had looked after her every day. They had been talking then and he had played with Enya. Else he had been in his study, working. Then Ash had discovered the cave. Somehow she hadn't expected that he would join them on their trip to the cave. She had thought he wasn't the kind of guy for field trips. He was a bureaucrat who rather did business work and let others do the _dirty_ work. But his moves in the field had seemed natural. It had been the first time she had met the thief after her memory loss. With that day he had changed.  
She had seen him more often. He had helped them with their analyses of the lichen and had proved to be invaluable. He even had moved his paperwork to the garden or parlour where she played with her daughter or simply read a book, accompanying her, discussing with her, fooling around with her.  
Suddenly she understood. _He became what he was before, the man I fell in love with years ago. He stopped being boring._ She hadn't minded before her memory loss, because she knew his other side. And she had been able to tease that side out of him from time to time. After her memory loss she hadn't done it anymore and thereby seen the boring nobleman only. A man she would have never fallen in love with.  
Alana didn't know if he had changed because he had realized that. But she hoped he wouldn't return to his boring self now. She needed to talk to him about that. She wanted to keep the thief rather than the nobleman.  
A whimpering let her turn. Markes moved in the baby bed. "You hungry little man," she said smiling as she realized his smacking. She moved over and took him out of the bed to nurse him. They had positioned the bed right next to her bedside that she was able to take the children out of it without standing up. But still it was tedious. _It would be better if the bed was open to my side then I could easily pull them over to me at night to nurse them or just touch them when they sleep fitful_ , she thought. Enya simply had slept in the other half of the bed but back then she had been alone with her. She sighed. A few months ago she simply would have asked Harris to build something for her. But he was gone.  
"I am sure he would have loved the two of you," she said quietly.  
"Mommy?"  
Alana raised her head. Enya stood in the doorway. She had spent the night at her great-grandparent's hovel together with Dellin, as far as she knew.  
"Hey, Sweetie!" She smiled. "Come over and meet your brother and your sister."  
Enya rushed over and climbed onto the bed.  
"This is your brother Markes," Alana said. "And the girl over there is Kareien." She nodded toward the baby bed.  
Enya caressed the boy's head. "Hello little brother," she said softly. Markes paused but then went on sucking. Enya chuckled. She looked over to the baby bed. "May I take her out of it? I'll be careful."  
Alana nodded.  
The girl left the bed. Carefully she took Kareien out of the baby bed. She whimpered a bit but slept on in her arms. "She is so tiny. He is taller."  
"He was the first. They are often taller. But he is pretty hungry as well." Alana smiled.  
"Boys should be taller. I'm glad they aren't two girls or two boys. That would be confusing."  
Alana chuckled. "Your cousins are both girls."  
"They are?" She didn't look happy. "That means Dellin now has two sisters." She sounded frustrated.  
"You are jealous," Alana realized.  
"No I am not."  
Alana chuckled. "Enya, he might have two sisters now but it will not change anything between you and him. You are the same age, they are ten years younger. They will not have much in common, trust me."  
"Are you sure?"  
She nodded smiling.  
"Look who has joined us." Dockson smiled at them, entering the room. "Good morning, love." He gave Enya a kiss on her forehead and caressed Kareien's head. "Have you eaten already?" he asked.  
Enya shook her head.  
"Would you like to join us?"  
She nodded.  
Alana put Markes back into the baby bed and pulled over a robe. She heard the servants bustle outside. Dockson turned and left the sleeping room but returned soon after with a tablet. They settled on the bed together and ate.  
"How is Kay?" Alana suddenly asked.  
"She is fine and the babies are too, both. Your father checked them already this morning."  
Alana smiled relieved.  



	14. Chapter 5 - Part 1

## Chapter V

### » 67 «

   
The upper atmosphere was darkened by a haze from ashflakes. Since a couple days ash fell steadily in a light but persistent shower. But that wasn't the worst. It was about noon but the mists had not retreated until short ago and they would return too soon. They had barely two to three hours of sunlight left per day. The rest of the day everything was covered by the mists. The coming harvest of the winter crops wouldn't be nearly as good as the fall harvest. It was in question if there would be another harvest season at all. Even the winter crops had massive problems. And the steadily falling ash didn't help, neither did the earthquakes.  
Dockson glanced at the sky, frowning deeply. Fortunately he hadn't sold much of the fall harvest. Their storages would keep the people on the plantation alive for the coming two years, when they economised. The meat of the livestock would help as well. But what if the situation didn't change? Dockson didn't want to think about it.  
He felt a hand on his and looked at his wife. Her eyes told him not to worry that much. He sighed and gave her a kiss. Then he looked at his little daughter who was babbling the whole trip already. It made him smile.  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we arrived at our destination," Ash announced. He jumped off the driver's seat of the carriage and helped Kayla down as well. He poked his head into the carriage. "Everybody ready to visit your great-grandparents?"  
One of his own daughters held her hands out to him and laughed. He grabbed her and threw her into the air. It made her laugh even more. Kayla rolled her eyes but smiled. She took her other daughter out of her basket. Dockson and Alana climbed out of the carriage, carrying their own twins.  
Together they entered the hovel. Most of the skaa were out on the fields to use the sparse sunlight, only the elders were at home.  
Swefa approached them, smiling broadly. Gizer followed a minute later, hobbling to them. "Where have you left Elyria?" Swefa asked.  
"She didn't feel so well and decided to stay home with Harris."  
To the surprise of all Elyria had decided to call her son after her late brother. The birth of the boy had been without any complications, but Elyria now felt the consequences of being an elder mother. Alana and Kayla often took care of Harris that she could relax a bit. But this time Brandon was his babysitter given that he had stayed at home instead of going to the hospital. He enjoyed the spare time with his son.  
"Oh, that is sad." Swefa sighed.  
They spread a thick blanket on the ground and laid the babies on it. Markes immediately turned around and pushed himself up to watch his surroundings while Kareien went on babbling. Kayla's twins were quiet and examined their fingers instead.  
Swefa sat down on the blanket next t to the children and played with them.  
Gizer frowned. "Why do babies always have to lie on the ground? That is not very fair to old people. How am I supposed to play with my great-grandchildren?" he muttered.  
Ash grinned and lifted the old man. A moment later he sat him down next to Swefa. "Call me if you want to get up again," he said, grinning broadly.  
"You rascal!" Gizer ranted, but his eyes twinkled.  
Swefa smiled deeply. She turned to Dockson. "Makan would like to talk to you about the mists."  
Dockson frowned and nodded. He turned to leave but Swefa stopped him.  
"Perhaps Ash should join you."  
Dockson's frown deepened. He looked at his brother-in-law. Ash shrugged. Together they walked over to the corner where the elders used to gather. They nodded to the men and women there, salutatory.  
"Sit down, please," one of the elders said. He was Makan, the tale-teller.  
They sat down on the offered chairs. "What is this about?" Dockson asked.  
"Certain events during the last months made us discuss a legend we know. It is passed from generation to generation. Perhaps you have heard about it already from your mother. I'm sure Ash does as well as Ally."  
"You told us a lot of stories during our childhood," Ash said.  
"We did, of course. Most were mere myths but some contained the knowledge of our ancestors. The Lord Ruler tried to eliminate those legends but he couldn't stop the skaa from telling tales. Only a few of us can separate the tales from the legends," the old man explained. "We chose wisely who will learn the difference. But with that we were able to keep them alive."  
Dockson frowned. "Are you telling me you are someone like the Keepers of Terris?"  
"I don't know about the Keepers of Terris."  
"They are people who collect and save the knowledge of the past."  
"Why, we don't collect, but we keep and pass on the knowledge we learned from our teachers."  
"I've never heard about such people among the skaa." Dockson shook his head.  
"Because only the chosen know about it, the people who teach and the people who are taught. Some call us tale-tellers, because to everyone else we simply tell tales."  
Dockson chuckled. "That was a good way to hide it."  
Makan tilted his head. "However, the reason we asked for your presence is simple. One of our legends covers the events during the last months."  
"What kind of events?"  
"The ashfalls and the earthquakes. And above all, the mists coming during the day, covering the land, killing the crops and killing the people."  
Ash and Dockson shared a look. "Tell us, please," Ash asked.  
"I have to go into greater detail first," Makan said.  
Dockson leaned back and listened.  
"There are two deities, Care and Bane," he explained. "I am sure they are known by different names as well, but those are the names in our legends. However, Care preserves and Bane destroys. To create, Care and Bane have to work together.  
"A very long time ago they created mankind. But the precondition for Bane to help Care was that it could destroy mankind one day. Care agreed. But Care had given so much of its power to make humans like they are, to give them awareness and independent thought; it didn't want Bane to destroy it, it wanted to preserve mankind. So Care tricked Bane and imprisoned it by giving up its own consciousness to build a prison. It wasn't a prison like we know it, not a building or similar. It was a prison of power that held Bane constrained. Bane still was able to influence the world, but only slightly. To make sure that Bane wouldn't destroy mankind in the blink of an eye, in case it was able to break free from the prison, Care hid its body as well."  
"Its body?" Ash asked, raising his eyebrows.  
Makan nodded. "It is not a body like yours or mine. It is a part of Bane's power. Without it, Bane can't destroy mankind as fast as it wishes, even if it breaks free from its prison."  
Dockson frowned deeply. All the things Makan had told them so far were interesting but useless. Besides, it all sounded rather like a tale than a legend. "What does that have to do with the current situation?"  
"Bane must have been able to break out of its prison. The ashfalls and the earthquakes, those are Bane's ways."  
"And the mists," Ash noted.  
"No, not the mists. The mists are of Care."  
"What? That is contradictory. Care preserves, the mists kill and destroy." Ash shook his head.  
"Why did you send all the people out into the mists?" Makan asked.  
"To inoculate them," Ash replied. "That they can't be trapped by the mists."  
"And to make them Snap," Dockson added. "The mists bestowed us a lot of Allomancers. You became Mistborn, for instance."  
Ash paused. "You think it tries to preserve us by creating Allomancers?" He frowned and then shook his head. "Anyhow, the mists will kill us sooner or later because we will starve. Of what use are Allomancers then?"  
Both men looked at Makan, waiting for an explanation.  
"I can't give you an answer to that question. I can only tell you the legend. You have to make your conclusions yourselves," the old man replied. "However, the ash and the earthquakes are signs that Bane is freed."  
"Wait a minute." Ash turned to Dockson. "Didn't Ham say Vin freed something at the Well of Ascension?"  
Dockson nodded. "She gave up the power to save the world, but she had the feeling that instead she has released something terrible by doing so. Around that time the mists started to kill."  
"Let us assume it was Bane. How does that knowledge help us to survive?" Ash turned back to Makan.  
The old man shrugged. "I don't know." He met their eyes. "But this wasn't the reason I asked for your presence. This part of the legend was merely the background."  
"What then?"  
"The legend contains information about a hero, someone carrying the future of the world on his arms, saving all of us."  
"And who is this hero?" Ash asked.  
"Vin thinks she is. But somehow I doubt that." Dockson frowned.  
"It doesn't matter. The hero will find his or her way. There is something else important, important for all of us. Before the hero can do his work, the mists will disappear completely. And when the mists disappear, we need to hide underground, or we will die one way or another."  
Dockson shook his head, frowning deeply. All this sounded surreal. "How long will it take that the mists disappear? Weeks, days, hours or from one minute to another? Are there any omen? We can't just hide underground for months or even years in expectation of such an event."  
"And if it happens within seconds we won't have enough time to hide," Ash added.  
"The legend only says, if the mists leave, we have to find shelter immediately, if possible underground."  
"Nothing else? No timeframe?"  
Makan shook his head. "I am sorry, but that's all it says."  
They sat in silence for a while, everyone rethinking the information.  
"That's rather frustrating," Ash eventually said.  
Dockson nodded.  
"At least, we already have a place to find shelter in."  
Makan perked up and so did Dockson. "You think about the cave?" the stocky man asked.  
Ash nodded. "You said yourself it is a good place to hide. It even has large storage caverns. And it is underground."  
Dockson frowned. He turned to the elder. "Do you know how long it will take from now on until the events you describe will happen, _if_ they happen?" He wasn't persuaded that there was any truth in that legend, though he had to admit that the last events fit in pretty well.  
Makan shook his head.  
   
Alana watched the three men talking. They didn't seem to be happy. Dockson's forehead was bedecked with a deep frown.  
 _He worries too much_ , she thought. _It is getting worse with the decreasing mistless daylight and the increasing ash. Why don't I worry as much as he does?_ She sighed. _I do. But he already worries enough for all of us. I need to be his calm and steady rock where he can't find some rest at least._  
Finally the men left Makan, the elder they had been talking with, while the other elders simply were present as it seemed. She knew Makan as a tale-teller and had loved to listen to his stories when she was a child. She fondly remembered the evenings when the children gathered around the hovel's fire, listening to his tales. She often had sat on Harris' lap, back then. The memory hurt. But it was a fond memory as well. Alana blinked away her tears.  
"You're okay?" Dockson asked with soft voice. He looked down at her with concern.  
"I am fine. I just remembered how I always sat on Harris' lap as a child while listening to Makan's tales." She slid over a little to make room for him on the blanket.  
He sat down next to her, laying his arm around her waist.  
"Are you okay?" she asked.  
"Confused. I'm actually not sure what to make of the things Makan told us."  
"You want to talk about it?"  
He shook his head. "Not at the moment." He gave her a peck.  
Markes began to cry.  
Alana sighed. "That he has definitely from you not from me."  
"What? Do I whine that often?" Dockson looked shocked.  
It made her laugh. "No, I am talking about his hunger." She winked at him.  
Dockson chuckled.  
She took Markes into her arms, baring her breast to feed him.  
Dockson watched her fondly. There was so much love in his face; it made her hold her breath for a moment. _That is what we fight for, our love and our children. That is_ worth _to fight for. We will not simply give up_. She smiled.  
   


### » 68 «

   
The mists danced, or at least for him it felt like dancing. They embraced him, caressed him, and swirled around him. They had already done so before he had gained his Allomantic abilities. But when he burned his metals it was even more intense. He felt the wet touch on his skin like a hand that caressed him. In these moments he was sure that the mists were of Care. They felt friendly, protecting, hiding. But then again the mists killed and with the decreasing mistless daylight soon every plant would die, the animals would follow and in the end the humans as well, no matter if skaa or nobility.  
Ash landed in a crouch on his quarters' balcony. The doors weren't closed, as always, and he pushed them open, strolling into the room beyond. Kayla looked up, smiling.  
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Ash asked, smiling back. "It is late already."  
"Am I not allowed to wait for my husband?"  
"Depends on why you wait for him." He grinned.  
Kayla stood and laid the book aside that she had been reading. She approached him until she stood only a few inches before him. She looked up, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her to kiss him. He simply lifted her to bring her eye to eye and held her. Even without pewter it was an easy task for him, because she was a small and slender woman of little weight. She wrapped her legs around his waist. Ash kissed her soft lips. Soon he felt her questing tongue and let it in, playing with it with his own tongue.  
He carried her over to the couch and laid her down on it. But she stood immediately again and started to open his shirt and trousers. She only wore a nightgown. He just pulled it over her head.  
When he was naked, she pushed him onto the couch and climbed on his lap, sitting down on his thighs, keeping his swollen manhood between them. She kissed him deeply. He cupped her buttock with his hand, massaging it. With the other hand he massaged one breast, gently twitching her nipple. Her hands went down his chest until she covered his shaft with her hands. It made him smile when he felt how it moved eagerly in her hands. She kissed him again and he felt how she raised up, guided his shaft into her deep cleft, and sank down until she fully enfolded him. He gasped.  
It amazed him every time again how such a small woman could completely take him in. She placed her hands on his shoulders and let her pelvis rotate first, then moving forth and back in an arch. With every move she breathed heavier. He massaged her buttocks, and thereby increased the pressure. He felt his own pleasure rising and leaned forward to kiss her lustful. She increased her speed and then he exploded within her in an incredible release.  
She sank down on him. "Oh, Kayla, Kayla, Kayla," he whispered breathlessly. Then he bedecked her face with kisses. Eventually he saw a deep frown on her forehead. "What?"  
"Don't you smell this?"  
He shook his head, confused.  
"I smell smoke."  
Ash turned his tin on. He never let it burn during the actual act, he didn't need it. She was able to cause him an inexpressible pleasure without it. The moment his senses grew extended, he smelled the smoke as well.  
Kayla climbed off his lap and threw over a robe. Then she entered the balcony. Ash got dressed completely and followed her.  
"There." She pointed out into the mists towards a flickering light.  
"The storage building," he gasped in shock when he realized the location. "Why hasn't there been any alarm, yet?" he wondered. "Go, and wake the others."  
Ash didn't wait for her reply. He dropped a coin and jumped out into the night towards the fire. It didn't take long until he reached the burning building. It already was ablaze. He shied away from the light and the heat, and extinguished his tin to dampen the intensity. Why hadn't the guards raised alarm? He turned toward the storage entrance. The moment he arrived there he saw them. Both guards lay on the ground and didn't move. He checked them. They were dead, their faces completely crushed. He grounded his teeth. Only an Allomancer could have done that.  
Ash flared his bronze and listened into the darkness. It took a moment until he found the pulsing. Carefully he followed the source. Soon he realized where the person was heading to, the second storage building. His eyes widened appalled. Ash flared his pewter and dashed forward.  
When he reached the second storage, he found the two guards dead as well. He growled. With his bronze flaring he searched for the Allomantic source again. The person was inside the building.  
"Come out!" Ash ordered, angrily. "Come out and fight!"  
A figure appeared in the darkness. With his tin he soon could see the person clearly. He gasped in shock and instinctively shied away. The tall figure was unmistakable, not by the man's build or the dark robe but by the two large metal spikes pounded point first through his eyes. Ash had never seen an Inquisitor before, but he had heard about them. The Steel Inquisitors had been a group of priests who served the Lord Ruler. They were particularly known for their bloodlust.  
Originally they had been normal noblemen, transformed into monsters by several large spikes of metal driven through their bodies. They had been fanatically devoted to the Lord Ruler. There was one of their conventicles near River Searan to the North, but as far as he knew it was empty. No one really knew what happened with the priesthood after the death of the Lord Ruler. But what Ash knew was that Inquisitors were pretty dangerous even for Mistborn.  
The creature smiled eerily. Ash swallowed. _They can be killed. Kelsier killed one, Vin killed several. And they both were simple Mistborn. I just need to behead him or pull the spike in his back out._ He tried to ease himself. He had talked to Ham about these creatures a couple times. But then he realized something. _I don't have atium!_ The atium bead, his sister had brought from Luthadel, was shut away in the study. Just a couple months ago, she had asked him to carry it with him, always, just in case. Why hadn't he listened?  
The Inquisitor pulled out an obsidian axe and Ash his obsidian daggers. He jumped backward in an arch, when the Inquisitor attacked. Pushing against the coin he had dropped. The axe hit the wooden frame of the storage gate. The Inquisitor pulled it free, easily. Ash landed in a crouch outside. With pewter enhanced speed the Inquisitor dashed forward, swinging his axe. Again Ash dropped a coin and jumped backward, but suddenly his coin shot away and with this he lost his anchor. He crashed to the ground. He rolled to the side and the axe grazed his arm.  
 _Damn, I've never trained with a Mistborn,_ he cursed silently. Again the Inquisitor smiled eerily. It sent a shiver through Ash's body. _He knows that I don't have a chance._ He fought his rising panic. He dodged another attack. The creature didn't give him the slightest chance to be offensive; he had to stay in a passive role, dodging and parrying his attacks. The Inquisitor drove him back further. The storage building already was out of sight.  
 _Pull yourself together, Ash Leary!_ He shouted at himself, silently. _If you want to survive this you have to attack him. You are a trained warrior. Remember your training!_  
Ash dodged the next attack, diving underneath a swing with the axe, jumping forward. He swiped his dagger in an attempt to hamstring the creature. But the Inquisitor pulled away from him and the dagger hit only air.  
"You would make a good Inquisitor," the creature suddenly said with a croaky voice. "Come with me and I will grant you a power far beyond your imagination."  
Ash used the moment to attack again, simply ignoring the words of the Inquisitor. He jumped just before he reached him, arching over the former nobleman, landing behind him. He grabbed for the robe and with pewter enhanced strength ripped it from the creature's back. But where a single spike was supposed to be, a metal plate blocked the access. The Inquisitor spun, swinging axe following his move. Ash jumped back but the axe sliced through the muscles of his left upper arm, fortunately missing the bone. But the deep cut bled heavily. Ash flared his pewter to dampen the pain. The short moment of distraction made him vulnerable. The axe of the Inquisitor sliced through his thigh, causing another deep gash. He stumbled backward. The creature followed him, slowly, grinning.  
 _I'm dead,_ he thought. A picture of his beloved wife and their children flashed through his head. _No! I can't give up. I have to protect them._ He shot himself forward to the surprise of the Inquisitor and his dagger hit flesh. The blade hit the central spike, right there where a normal person's heart was, slicing along it. The Inquisitor stumbled back, his grin vanished. Now he was angry.  
Ash's jaw dropped when he realized how fast the wound healed. His gaze grew dizzy from the massive blood loss. Anyway, he had no time to think about it, because the Inquisitor attacked again with a furious outcry. He moved with such an amazing speed, Ash had never seen before. It was far beyond of what was possible with pewter. He had no chance to react, although he tried.  
The Inquisitor reached him and thrust something into his chest. He didn't see what it was but he felt the pain. Ash gasped and dropped to his knees, his hands pressing against his chest, feeling a hard object right there where his heart was. He knew it was a deadly wound. A moment later everything went black.  
   


### » 69 «

   
Yelling woke them and the sound of the manor's alarm. It was in the middle of the night. Dockson slipped out of the bed and immediately went on the balcony. Still he heard the yelling but he couldn't understand the words. However, he saw a light flicker in the mists. He frowned.  
"What's going on?" Alana asked. She joined him.  
"I don't know. But I don't like the light."  
"Looks like the mists are burning."  
"I'm afraid that are not the mists that are burning."  
They went back inside and got dressed. When they left their quarters in a hurry, they bumped into Kayla.  
"The storage building is burning," she said quickly. "Ash's already out."  
"What!?" Dockson's throat tightened. He started to run.  
Alana followed him short after. With her pewter she caught up with him easily. "I asked Kay to stay with the kids," she said while running.  
Dockson nodded. "Good idea."  
A few minutes later they arrived in the courtyard. Now they could see where the flames came from. As Kayla had said, it was one of the storage buildings.  
"Shit!" Dockson cursed.  
Skaa bustled about, running towards the building. Dockson and Alana joined them. Now he was glad that they had inoculated the skaa of the plantation. They still were afraid of the mists, but they could help with the fire. They ran around, carrying buckets with water.  
"We need to form a chain. It is stupid to run around. That costs too much time," he noted, more to himself than to his wife. "Stop running. Form a chain and hand the buckets to the person next to you," he shouted.  
Some of the skaa stared at him confused. He saw their fear.  
"They don't know what you mean," Alana said.  
"Do you?"  
She nodded. "I will go to the building and organise it there."  
Dockson nodded affirmative and took a deep breath. Then he started to fetch the skaa bustling about and build with them a chain to the burning building. After a few minutes they had three chains headed by the Thugs Purill, Della and Alana. Water buckets went from hand to hand and the Thugs threw the water into the fire. Still it took awfully long until they had it under control. But finally the last seat of fire was doused.  
Dockson stared at the building. He couldn't see much because of the mists, but what he saw he didn't like. Half of the large building was burned down and a lot of the stored food was lost. He swallowed.  
Alana joined him. He looked at her and put his arm around her waist. "You're okay?" he asked.  
She nodded. "The chain was a good idea."  
"But still it took too long. How could the fire spread so fast?"  
"I don't know." She shook her head. "Have you seen Ash?" she asked eventually.  
"No. I haven't seen him anywhere around."  
Alana frowned. "But Kay said he was already out."  
"I don't know." Dockson spotted Purill and called the Thug. He approached them. "Have you seen Ash?"  
Purill shook his head. "No."  
"That is strange. Where could he be?" Alana asked.  
"I have another question for you," Purill said. "Why didn't the storage guards raise alarm?"  
"Excuse me?" Dockson raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Who did?"  
"I raised the alarm when I saw the fire in the mists. But I was on guard duty at the manor."  
"Who is on storage duty tonight?" Dockson asked.  
Purill shrugged. "I don't know their schedule. I never do storage duty."  
"It doesn't really matter," Alana said. "The more important question is: where _are_ our guards?"  
Dockson nodded. "Let's have a look."  
On their way to the storage gates Della joined them.  
"Have you seen Ash?" Alana asked immediately.  
Della shook her head. "Haven't seen him since the evening."  
Dockson met his wife's eyes. He saw the worry in her face.  
They finally reached the gates and found the guards. Both men were dead. Where their faces had been only a bloody mass was left.  
"What the hell?" Della asked shocked. "What can cause such wounds?"  
"What troubles me more is that their swords are still sheathed. That means they must have been taken by surprise," Dockson said.  
"That's not the work of a Thug," Purill noticed. "At least not with a fist."  
"What is this?" Della pointed at something embedded in the still intact gate. Something metallic jutted out of the wood.  
"Can you pull it out?" Dockson asked.  
She grabbed for it and pulled. Finally she had a razor-sharp metal triangle in her hand. Dockson frowned. The form was vaguely familiar. _Where have I seen this before?_ Suddenly the memory returned. He could feel how he paled.  
"What is it?" Alana asked him.  
"Extinguish your metals!" Dockson demanded.  
"What?"  
"Do it! All of you!" he bellowed.  
Alana was taken aback by his outburst. "I did," she eventually said.  
Purill and Della nodded as well.  
"Dox, what is this about?"  
Dockson closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "When Kell and Vin went into Kredik Shaw for the first time, Kelsier brought one of these things to Clubs' shop. He found lots of them at Kredik Shaw. He thought they were used for the Lord Ruler's ceremonies." He looked up and met Alana's eyes. "The Inquisitors used them as weapons. They Pushed them."  
Della nodded. "It explains the wounds, and how they could be taken by surprise."  
Dockson saw how his wife paled, her eyes grew wide. "Ash!"  
"He can't fight an Inquisitor. He knows that. He would never attack one," Dockson tried to calm her.  
But Alana shook her head. "For Ash are Inquisitors like a myth. He has never seen one. He has no idea." Her voice trembled.  
"Della, head back for the manor. Warn the others. But keep your pewter off. All Mistings shall extinguish their metals."  
Della nodded and dashed off.  
"We need to find Ash!" Alana grabbed for his arm. Panic was in her eyes.  
Dockson nodded. "We should stay together, just in case. Be ready to burn your pewter, but keep it off as long as we don't see the Inquisitor. I don't want to give him something to trail." He eyed the mists. "The question is where do we begin to look?"  
"Ash always burns his bronze to keep an eye on the Mistings. Either he has realized the Inquisitor or the Inquisitor him," Purill mentioned.  
"He always has his copper burning too," Alana said.  
"And so will the Inquisitor. But still . . ." Dockson shook his head. "Anyway, let us assume he was here because he went out for the fire."  
"They could have headed everywhere. If Ash followed the Inquisitor we have to know where the Inquisitor headed to," Purill replied.  
"Perhaps to the other storage building. The guards there also haven't raised alarm." Dockson shook his head. "Though I'm afraid we'll find a similar setting there."  
The men started toward the second storage building. A moment later Dockson stopped and turned. Alana hadn't moved. She stared into space.  
"Al?" He walked back to her. "He will be fine."  
She met his eyes and he saw her fear. She had lost so many people she loved, already. Ash perhaps would be the worst loss for her. Dockson could only hope that his brother-in-law hadn't tried to fight the Inquisitor. He hoped that he hid somewhere.  
"Al, is there some place around here? A place Ash could have used to hide?"  
She simply stared at him.  
"Ally?"  
Still no reaction. Obviously she was in shock.  
"Ally, come on. We need you here. Where could Ash hide?" He shook her, gently. But she didn't react. She just stared at him. Dockson cursed and slapped her.  
Surprised she blinked. She raised her hand and touched her face where he had hit her. "What the---?"  
"Sorry," he said. "But you didn't leave me much choice. Where could Ash hide?"  
She shook her head. "There is no place around the manor. All our hiding places are farther away. And we have many of them."  
Dockson raised his eyebrows. "Many hiding places? Guess one day you have to show me."  
"Why should I do that?" she asked dryly.  
He looked at her with narrowed eyes. Her expression was serious, no twinkling, no smile. It reminded him of how close his wife and her brother were. They definitely kept secrets from him, simply because it was none of his business. That was something he had to accept, how hard it might be from time to time. It was a matter of trust. Finally he shook his head. "Let's go to the other storage."  
Silently they walked through the misty night, eyes and ears open, heading toward the second of the three storage buildings. The buildings were apart from each other that a fire wouldn't destroy all at once. This night had proven how important it was.  
"You owe me one," Alana said quietly, all of a sudden.  
Purill chuckled and Dockson raised his eyebrows.  
"You destroyed my statistics," he replied.  
"Your _statistics_?"  
"I've never beaten a woman before."  
"Oh, nice. I am honoured," she said biting.  
Dockson didn't know what to reply to that. Normally he would just pull her close and kiss her. But there was no mirth in their conversation. He knew she was worried for her brother. It would just be wrong to do so now. He decided to simply ignore the comment and to pick up the conversation again later, if necessary.  
Finally they reached the storage building. As feared they found the guards dead. Dockson suppressed the urge to gag when he saw their destroyed faces.  
"The storage seems to be fine," Purill said. "He must have been interrupted by something or someone."  
"Ash," Alana simply said quietly. She swallowed.  
They looked around, carefully, alert. Suddenly Purill knelt down. "Blood," he noted and pointed at a dark spot on the ground, far away enough from the guards that it couldn't be theirs. "There is a blood trail." He stood and followed the path, slowly.  
Dockson was sure that the Thug was ready to burn his pewter immediately if it was necessary. He and Alana followed him. The mists didn't let them see farther than about ten feet. It took a couple minutes until they found a figure lying on the ground, Ash. Alana immediately froze, wide-eyed.  
"No!" she whispered. "Please, no!"  
Dockson could hear the panic in her voice. Suddenly he realized the similarity. _She must have found Harris the same way_ , he thought.  
Purill run over to Ash and checked him. "He's alive," he said.  
Hope flashed on her face. She rushed over. Dockson joined her a moment later. Ash had several bruises and lacerations, and two deep gashes. He was unconscious but alive. His shirt was soaked with blood. Alana opened the shirt. Dockson gasped in shock as he saw the cause for the blood. A thin metal spike jutted about half an inch out of Ash's chest right there where the heart was.  
"How could he survive that?" he whispered incredulously.  
"I don't know," Alana replied. "We need to bring him back to the manor." She quickly bandaged at least the two deep gashes.  
"I'll do it," Purill said. "He is too heavy to be carefully carried by a normal man."  
"That would mean to burn pewter." Alana looked at him, worried.  
The Thug just nodded. "There is no other way. I'll be careful." He lifted Ash and dashed off.  
Dockson and Alana followed him.  
   
They reached the manor a couple minutes after Purill. Alana rushed into the building toward the examination room. She was sure that they had brought Ash there. She tried to ignore the terrible fear she felt, although it almost ripped her apart. The moment she arrived in the examination room she heard an outcry. _Kayla!_  
Alana entered the room and pulled her friend close. "We need to pull ourselves together, Kay," she said, sounding stronger than she felt. "He needs us more than ever before. I know you are afraid. I am too. But he needs our full concentration now. You hear me?"  
Kayla nodded. She had tears in her eyes. Together they went over to the table where Ash lay. Lord Brandon already examined him.  
Kayla gasped as she saw the metal spike in his chest. "What is this?"  
"I don't know. Perhaps a new weapon they use," Alana replied.  
"However, he is still alive," her father said. "That is a wonder considering the position where that spike hit him."  
Alana nodded. "Can we remove it?"  
"I am not sure." He frowned. "I am afraid the spike holds it all together. If we remove it we will have irreversible damage. I am afraid he will die then."  
"Can we leave it where it is?" Kayla asked, fear in her voice.  
"To be honest, I have no idea." He looked at his daughter.  
"I don't know. I never had such case. But I heard of cases where people lived without problems with broken shards of swords embedded in their flesh. But never so close to the heart."  
"Let us discuss that later. We should care for the other wounds first," Brandon said.  
They sewed and stitched the gashes and the lacerations. When they were done they checked his state of health. It was unchanged.  
"He is stable, I think," Alana said.  
"What do we do with the metal spike?" Kayla asked.  
"I would leave it where it is."  
They turned and found Dockson.  
"Why do you think so?" Alana wondered.  
"It's like a dagger wound. As long as the dagger is inside, the victim rarely dies. It does, if you twitch the dagger or pull it out."  
"He is right," she said. "Now that he mentioned it I remember one case we had back then in Luthadel. The knife still stuck in the man's chest. When we removed it, his lungs collapsed and he died on our hands."  
"I remember." Kayla nodded. "But there was no way to leave it there because it had sharp edges. Every move would have cut deeper."  
"That's why we decided to remove it." Alana nodded as well.  
"We don't know if this spike has sharp edges," Brandon voiced his concern.  
"True. But how big is his chance to survive if you remove it?" Dockson asked.  
Brandon, Kayla and Alana shared a look. "Zero," Alana finally said.  
"Then, you should leave it where it is."  
   
She sat on the bed, her legs tucked up and arms wrapped around her knees. She stared into space and shivered. She was afraid, terribly afraid. The events had shocked her.  
"He'll be fine, I'm sure," Dockson said.  
Alana met his eyes. "We are so far away from everything, even the koloss got around us. Why? Why an Inquisitor? Why did he burn down our storage?" she asked with trembling voice. "Why coming for us? We are unimportant, aren't we? Why?"  
"I don't know," he replied. "And I doubt we'll find an answer tonight. We will have a look at the situation in the morning. We should get some sleep now."  
"I can't sleep." She shook her head.  
"It won't help to sit around here now. We'll need a clear mind. Let's go to bed at least."  
Alana sighed. She slipped under the blanket. Dockson followed soon after. He moved close to her and she felt his body at her back. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled her closer. He covered her with his stocky body and muscular arms. She felt his breath at her neck and his warmth enveloping her. She closed her eyes and pulled his arms even closer, snuggling into his embrace. She concentrated on the feeling of security he radiated. The shivering stopped soon after.  
"I love you," she whispered.  
"I'm always there for you," he replied soft-spoken.  
She nodded. Tears appeared in her eyes. Suddenly she remembered how often she had almost lost _him_ already. She turned around and snuggled up to him, hiding her face at his throat, feeling his warmth on it.  
"Promise me to never leave me, to take care of you, always. I don't survive it to lose you."  
"I promise." She felt his lips on her head as he kissed her.  
"I love you so much."  
He didn't reply but tightened his embrace. His warmth and the feeling of security eventually let her slip away into sleep.  
   


### » 70 «

   
Dim sunlight woke him. He guessed it was already late morning but it was hard to tell with the mists obscuring the sun. He turned around and found an empty bed beside him. The baby bed was empty as well, but it had been the night already. They hadn't fetched the children after the night's events. Alana had only stopped by to nurse them. Perhaps they were still at Enna's. The maid had taken care of all four babies during the surgery.  
Dockson got up and went to the bathroom. He did a quick wash and trimmed his beard. After he got dressed he entered the main room. On the table he found a note from Alana. She was out to one of her old meeting places with Ash. Fortunately she had described the location and how he could get there. His stomach growled, so he decided to pass by the kitchen and fetch a quick bite.  
   
It took a while until he found the location described in the message. He dismounted next to Alana's horse and walked the last part of the way. She sat on a flat boulder, her legs tucked up and her arms wrapped around her knees. She wore mundane skaa clothing, a simple pair of brown trousers and a beige buttoned shirt. Clothes she rarely wore the last time, although he knew she preferred it. But she knew how much he loved to see her in gowns and that's why she wore gowns and dresses mostly, lately.  
Dockson approached her. He smiled at her as she turned her head. She didn't smile back. "Is your pewter off?" he asked.  
Alana nodded. She tapped the place next to her and he sat down, laying his arm around her.  
"When did you get up?"  
"A couple hours ago. I woke up and couldn't sleep anymore." She looked at the barely visible dark mass in front of them, the lake. "When I left for Luthadel for my apprenticeship, we sat here, saying goodbye," she said quietly. "I didn't want to leave. I knew I would miss him terribly. He told me that he wanted to spit into the Lord Ruler's face." She chuckled quietly, but it sounded bitter. "I told him that the Lord Ruler would kill him for it and that I didn't want him to die." She looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I don't want him to die." She sobbed and he pulled her close.  
For a while they sat in silence. "It is a beautiful place," Dockson said eventually.  
"It used to be," she replied and wiped her tears. "Without the mists."  
"We could stay until noon, and then I can see it."  
She shook her head. "I would like to know how Ash is."  
"He is stable, your father says. I met him on my way out. Kayla is with him all the time."  
Alana nodded. "Thank you."  
"I told him where to find us if something changes. I hope, you don't mind."  
She shook her head.  
"I brought some snacks. Guess you haven't eaten yet."  
"I am not hungry."  
"Probably. But when I married you I said that I will care for you, always. And I plan to do so."  
"I was the one with the care. You were the one with the protection."  
He paused, then shrugged and unpacked the snacks he had fetched in the kitchen. "Protecting you also means to protect you from starving."  
A fond smile appeared around her eyes but it didn't spread to her lips. It made him pause again. He bent over and gave her a tender kiss. "He'll be fine, hon. I'm sure. He survived until now and he has pewter. I remember the wounds Kell and especially Vin had from time to time. I never thought they'd survive that but they always did. Those Mistborn can bear wounds far beyond our imagination."  
Alana nodded. "I hope you are right." She sighed. "I miss Ham."  
Surprised Dockson raised his eyebrows. That comment came out of a sudden. He hadn't expected it.  
"Ash and Ham have lots in common," she explained. "The same build, the same cheeky behaviour, always a smile on the lips, and even the same philosophical puzzles, although Ham is far worse than Ash with that. Ham always reminded me of Ash back then. I guess it was one of the reasons he and I got along so well from the beginning." Alana met his eyes. "When I lose Ash, I will also lose Ham a second time."  
Dockson saw the pain in her eyes and he heard it in her voice. It made his stomach twist. He took her hand. "You won't lose him. I'm sure about that. You've lost enough people already, enough for a life. Besides, Ash is Mistborn and Kelsier is the Lord of the Mists, he'll protect him."  
Alana snorted. "I would love to believe that."  
"He saved me although I'd given up, already. He sent you to rescue me. He let you return to me even after I betrayed you."  
She cocked her head. "Do you really believe that?"  
Dockson shrugged. "I don't know. I've always been the realistic one of the crew. But when I look back at the last two years . . ." He met her eyes again. "So many things happened during that time, wonderful things, impossible things, or at least things I thought to be impossible. All these things, all these wonders in a time when everybody lost hope. This can't be coincidental. Perhaps he really is out there somehow, watching over us."  
Alana snuggled into his arms. "I love you," she simply said.  
When they parted again she picked one of the wraps he had brought, and ate it silently.  
"What do you think why the Inquisitor burned down our storage?" she suddenly asked.  
Dockson slowly took a deep breath. "You remember that I told you about Kell's brother Marsh, who became an Inquisitor?"  
She nodded.  
"He has changed after the transformation. And I don't mean the eerie look, I mean inside. It got worse over the months. Ham told me something that happened when Vin went into the Well of Ascension. Marsh attacked Sazed and almost killed him. The strangest thing is, Marsh said something to Sazed that made me wonder. He told him that he doesn't understand why he has to kill him and he even apologized for it." He shook his head. "But when I look at the events during the last year and the legend about Bane and Care Makan told us about, it begins to make sense."  
Alana cocked her head and looked at him frowning.  
"What Ham said, sounds like Marsh had no control over himself. I know it sounds far-fetched, but what if Bane controls the Inquisitors?"  
Surprised she raised her eyebrows. "How should that be possible?"  
"He is a deity, not like the Lord Ruler was, more a real divinity. Even imprisoned he was able to change written words, to know what's going on out here. If Vin really---"  
"Wait a minute," Alana interrupted him. "He was able to change written words?"  
"That's what Sazed discovered. Ham told me about it," he explained. "The notes Sazed had taken have been altered in a way that they believed Vin has to give up the power instead of using it. That's what Bane wanted. If Vin really released him at the Well of Ascension he has gained power again. According to the legend he causes the ash and the earthquakes lately, why shouldn't he be able to control the Inquisitors then?"  
"Why isn't he able to control _us_ then?"  
"Perhaps it is something about the changes, what changed a human into an Inquisitor. Perhaps this produced something that made them more prone to Bane's call."  
Alana looked at him sceptical.  
"Perhaps it killed Care's part in them." Dockson frowned. "That sounds as stupid as it feels like, doesn't it?"  
It took a moment until she replied. "It does, but also plausible . . . in a way." She rubbed her neck. "But why attacking us? We are far away from the Central Dominance, too far away to be important."  
"Perhaps it is something we know." Dockson shrugged. "Or he's just trying to produce as much chaos as possible to mask his true goals."  
They sat in silence and thought about their conversation while eating the last wraps.  
"Why he?" Alana suddenly asked.  
"Hum?"  
"We always talk of Bane as he. Who did start that and why?"  
"I don't know who started it, but maybe because women usually aren't that destructive." He grinned.  
"That would make Care a woman then." Alana chuckled.  
Dockson nodded, still grinning. "Only a woman and a man together can create something new, like a child. And the legend says that together they created mankind."  
"But usually fathers don't try to kill their children."  
"True." He chuckled quietly. "That would be a nice philosophical puzzle for Ham."  
Alana nodded.  
Dockson looked at the water that licked the stones only a few feet away from them, barely visible thanks to the mist. "However, we should have a look at the damage of the storage as soon as the mists are gone."  
"Then we should leave now. We will need all the time we can get." Alana stood.  
Dockson sighed. "I had hoped to see the real beauty of this place."  
"Tomorrow is another day." She helped him up.  
"There is something I learned as a thief. Live every day as if it is your last one." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionate.  
"That is an unpleasant attitude," she said afterwards, breathless. "Although, the result was rather pleasant."  
"Unpleasant attitude is the wrong term. It might be a bit pessimistic, okay, but it _has_ the vantage that you enjoy every moment with the people you love much more." He smiled and kissed her again.  
   
***  
   
Slowly the mists reappeared. It would only be a matter of minutes until everything was covered with the strange phenomenon again.  
"It is worse than I expected." Dockson frowned. He stood in front of the storage together with the two Thugs he and Alana had befriended. They had inspected the damage.  
"We still have half of the supplies," Della replied.  
"Yes, but if the weather changes we will lose more. The whole roof is gone as well as one of the walls. There is no more protection."  
The beefy woman frowned. "Can't we transfer it to one of the other storages?"  
Dockson shook his head. "They are all filled. I only sold what we couldn't store. This was the only storage where we had room left for the spring harvest."  
"See it positive. He could have burned one of the other two storages."  
"I guess he wanted to, but Ash got in the way," Purill said.  
"Why don't I like your expressions?" Alana joined them. "So bad?"  
"Not really. But we need to relocate the supplies." Dockson gave her a kiss for hello. "How is Ash?"  
"Unimproved, but stable." She sighed. "Any idea for the relocation? We don't have any more storage buildings. And I doubt we can build a new one so fast."  
"Only one place comes into my mind, but it could be a problem to guard it."  
"Why that?" Della asked.  
Dockson looked at Alana. She frowned confused but then she understood. "The cave?"  
He nodded.  
"What cave?" Purill wondered.  
"A couple months ago Ash discovered a cave," Dockson explained. "We have explored it. There are two caverns that would be perfect for long-term stocking. But the cave is west of the manor at the far end of the plantation."  
"Let's have a look at it," Purill suggested. "We are used to guard a king; a cave shouldn't be such a big problem."  
"Then we should leave in the early morning tomorrow." Dockson nodded.  
"If you don't mind, I will come with you. I need more of the lichen that grows there," Alana said.  
"What about the babies?" Della frowned. "Can you leave them alone for such a long time? I mean, you're still nursing."  
"Don't worry. Kayla and Elyria have enough milk to feed them as well."  
   


### » 71 «

   
They dismounted not far away from the cave. With the mists it was safer to walk the last part of the way given that boulders weren't rare in the area. They didn't want to risk the horses. While Alana and Della walked ahead, their horses lead by reins, Dockson and Purill followed behind them.  
Dockson watched the women. They had grown close during their trip from Luthadel to the plantation, not only due to their pewter burning. Although he guessed it was the reason they had started to spend time with each other. Female Thugs were rare. Or perhaps they weren't as rare as most people thought because it wasn't a very feminine ability. Dockson guessed that most women simply kept it a secret and used it only against fatigue and similar.  
Della and Alana were about the same height and both weren't slender. After the birth of the twins Alana had not been able to return to her old weight, yet. But already back then in Luthadel years ago she hadn't been as scrawny as the typical Luthadel noblewoman. But compared to Della she _seemed_ to be slender. Della wasn't fat but she was beefy. She had the build of a warrior. Even without pewter Dockson guessed her to be stronger than most men.  
The funny thing was that her husband Jenno was a rather lanky guy. Sometimes Dockson wondered if Della could feel protected in Jenno's arms, as Alana did in his. He himself was neither lanky nor beefy, at least not compared to Ham or Purill. But he would be able to win a fight against Della, he was sure, provided that she didn't use pewter. Unfortunately he had gained a few pounds lately caused by his rather bureaucratic work. He still wasn't portly but he could use a little sparring. Perhaps he should ask Purill for some training sessions.  
Purill was more of Ham's build; the typical warrior. He was as tall as Dockson himself but a beefy guy with slim waist. With this build came a handsome face, what made him favoured by women. But Purill was happily married and loved his wife and children more than anything else. Dockson liked his dry humour, though Purill himself laughed rarely. Dockson knew that Purill had to watch his family being tortured and finally killed when he was in his teens. Only he and his brother survived. That was when he Snapped. Fortunately he had met Ham soon after.  
They reached the cave and climbed over the rocks to its entrance. The moment they entered the cave an earthquake rumbled under their feet. They had to steady themselves at the walls not to fall. It took about two minutes until the earth stopped to shake.  
"They are growing worse," Della noted.  
Alana nodded. "And more often. I don't like it."  
They walked on and soon after, they entered the main cavern.  
"Oh, wow!" Della said. "That's impressive."  
"It's only one of two large caverns," Dockson explained. "Additional we have two smaller caverns, the ones that are good for stocking, and two caverns with fresh-water lakes."  
"The entrance can easily be guarded. With fresh-water supply from the cave this is even better to be guarded than a palace." Purill shook his head. "I don't see a problem why we shouldn't use it."  
"I agree," Della said. "Is there another entrance?"  
"Not really. There are two air tubes. But the holes are about a hundred feet above and small. Perhaps a person could enter through them, but I'm not sure."  
"The hundred feet are no problem for a Mistborn or a steel Misting," Purill noted.  
"True."  
"Show us. Then we can decide if we have to guard those entrances as well."  
   
Alana had taken a few more samples of the lichen for additional analyses. She wanted to try to grow it under controlled circumstances to probably use it for nightlights at the hospitals. Lamp oil was not only expensive by now but also it was getting quite rare. They had to use it sparingly already.  
Afterwards she had expressed some breast milk to relieve her breasts from the increasing firmness. It was the first time she was away from her children for so long and now she could painfully feel how much milk she was able to produce.  
She sat on one of the bumps inside the main cavern and waited, her thoughts wandering to her brother. She had looked after him in the morning. He still was unconscious but stable. It saddened her heart to see him lying in his bed, terribly pale. It gave her a hint of how the others must have felt when she had been close to death months ago after the attack in Curafal. She had sat at Ash's side for about an hour, talking to him, pleading to him, and even threatening him. Tears appeared in her eyes and she wiped them away.  
Alana looked up when her three companions returned from their exploratory tour. "What do you think?" she asked.  
"Dox is right," Della replied. "This is a perfect place for a hideout. And the storage caverns are huge. There is more than enough space not only for the stuff from the burned building but for the crops from the harvest the next weeks. And it is good to guard. Given that the air tubes have no direct connection to the storage caverns, they are no problem as well."  
"It has another advantage," Dockson said. "If the legends prove to be true, we already have food stockings here."  
Alana nodded. "But then we should fill the caves completely, use all space we have. It would also be good to have bedrolls and other things we need for a longer period. And we have to think about sanitation."  
Della raised her hand. "Excuse me, what legends?"  
Dockson and Alana shared a look. Alana eventually nodded and Dockson told them.  



	15. Chapter 5 - Part 2

### » 72 «

   
It was dark, when he opened his eyes. He tried to burn tin, but there was no tin in his stomach. There was only pewter and that was already burning. He tried to sit up, but despite his pewter he felt too weak. There was a strange feeling of pressure in his chest. He touched the area and felt something hard. But it was covered by a thick bandage. He frowned and tried to remember what had happened.  
The storage had been burning. He had found the guards dead. And then he had burned bronze and had felt the Allomantic pulsing of someone burning steel. He had followed the source to the second storage. But he had been too late to save the guards there. And then he had faced the source of the pulsing, an Inquisitor. They had fought, he got wounded and then the Inquisitor had thrust something into his chest, something that had been hidden in his hand. With that moment his memory ended.  
Slowly he was able to see something. The sun would rise within the next two hours as he realized. The first light was visible outside and began to lighten the room. He turned his head and faced Kayla, who lay next to him. She was asleep.  
He studied her beautiful features. She seemed so fragile with her small nose and her curved lips. Compared to him she was a tiny woman. She had the average small height of a skaa woman but was slender. He was as tall as his father, but had the rather typical build of a skaa, strong and beefy. He knew it was a good combination for a warrior. And with his Allomantic abilities he should easily be able to face an Inquisitor.  
But the Inquisitor had been so strong and so fast, and he had no experience in fighting a Mistborn let alone an Inquisitor. He had not even seen one before, fortunately as he now knew. Again his hand wandered to the point at his chest where the hard object was. _Why did you leave it in?_ He could answer that question himself. It was awfully close to his heart. He wondered why it hadn't pierced it and killed him. Or had it pierced it? Plugged the thing the wound? The thought made him feel uncomfortable.  
He turned his mind back to Kayla. _Oh Kayla, my beloved wife. How did I deserve someone like you? You are so beautiful and kind, so intelligent and skilled. How could you fall in love with such a clumsy fellow like me?_ He smiled and wiped away a wisp of her hair. When she started to move he pulled his hand away. He didn't want to wake her. He wanted to watch her, to soak up her beauty. _I love you so much! I'd do anything to protect you, anything!_  
   
***  
   
They had returned late from the cave and gone to bed, after Alana had nursed the babies and talked with her father about Ash's current situation. He still had been unconscious. The concern for her brother had let her sleep fitful, but fortunately her dreams had changed to rather pleasant topics.  
Still she could feel Dockson's caressing hand on her skin, touching her, massaging her. She moaned semi-somnolent as she felt his hand between her legs, softly rubbing the nodule in her cleft. Instinctively she spread her legs. The rubbing grew harder and suddenly she became aware that it wasn't a dream. For a moment she was tempted to open her eyes, but decided to simply enjoy the treatment. She moaned louder as she felt the rising pleasure. Dockson quietened her with a deep kiss. She raised against his hand, rhythmically. A small cry escaped her lips as she felt the exploding release.  
He climbed onto her and she opened her eyes, barely seeing his features in the dim light of morning that was mostly locked out by thick curtains. He bent down and kissed her with questing tongue. She wrapped her arms around his chest, feeling his muscles moving beneath his skin, holding him tight. She tucked up her legs and he dived into her a moment later. He pulled back and plunged into her again. She felt another deep, pleasurable sensation rising.  
A hard knocking let him pause. Alana howled protesting, arching up to him. The knocking returned, even harder now. Dockson cursed and pulled out completely. It made her protest even more. He stood and wrapped a blanket around his waist, hiding his upright swollen manhood. Alana had the urgent wish to kill the person outside.  
   
Dockson went to the door and pulled it open when it shook a third time from hard knocking. Purill's fist hit empty air. The Thug looked up surprised.  
"Tell me you got a very good reason to disturb us," Dockson said, growling.  
"Ash is awake," he simply replied. His gaze went down where the blanket around Dockson's waist had a bump. Purill raised his eyebrows. "Guess I didn't wake you, at least."  
"Let me put it that way. If you have a desperate death wish, enter that room right now." Dockson pointed at the sleeping room.  
Purill grinned. "Guess I rather leave that to you."  
Dockson rolled his eyes. "Get lost," he grumbled.  
The Thug laughed and turned to leave. Dockson closed the door and took a deep breath. Now he could forget to finish what he had started. _It could have been so good, but no._ He frowned as he remembered another time when they got disturbed. _Ash always has that sense of timing._ He sighed and returned to the sleeping room.  
   
***  
   
Kayla cuddled into Ash's arms. Carefully she avoided the area with the spike. The thing made her feel uncomfortable. Alana and Dockson had left a couple minutes ago as well as her father-in-law. Ash felt pretty well for the fact that he had a spike in his chest. Alana and Brandon still were sceptical, and Kayla was afraid, but also happy. He was conscious and that was a good sign after all.  
She had her eyes closed and listened to his steady heartbeat, burning tin to intensify the sound. It had the positive side effect that she felt his caressing touch more intensive too. After a while of enjoying his liveliness, she pulled away from him and sat up. She cocked her head and studied him for a moment. He smiled at her fondly.  
"You have never asked me why I was so terrified in Luthadel," she said.  
Ash raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I never had the feeling you wanted to talk about it. I just wanted to give you time until you tell me yourself."  
"I appreciated that."  
"Why were you so terrified?" he asked.  
Kayla took a deep breath, searching for words. "Near the village where I was born was a koloss army stationed. Sometimes soldiers passed our village, accompanied by some of the beasts." She swallowed. "One night a group of soldiers came to our house. They pulled my mother, my sister and me out and dragged us to their tent. Their tent was surrounded by koloss." She paused.  
Ash's eyes were wide in shock.  
She was sure he guessed the right thing. "They raped and beat us again and again the whole night," she added quietly.  
Ash pulled her back into his arms and embraced her tightly. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.  
"My father found me the next morning. Somehow I survived whereas my mother and my sister died. Since then even the thought of koloss terrifies me," she finished.  
"I'm so sorry," he repeated, holding her.  
Kayla wrapped her arms around him, snuggling up against him. "I love you. Please, next time you encounter an Inquisitor, turn your metals off and hide. Promise me. I don't want to lose you."  
"I promise," he said and kissed her head. "Beside this I promise you something else. No one will ever touch you again, neither human nor koloss. I will protect you, no matter the cost."  
She nodded.  
"I love you, Kay, more than anything in this world."  
Tears appeared in her eyes, but she smiled. She felt his strong arms around her, protecting her, felt his warmth, his breath.  
   


### » 73 «

   
He sat on the table in the examination room. His wife, his sister and his father had gathered around him and checked him. He felt pretty well. Hence he wanted to return to his old habits. But Alana didn't share his opinion. As his healer she forbade him to use his Mistborn abilities.  
"You can't be serious?"  
"I am."  
"Al, I'm fine."  
"Okay, then turn your pewter off and I will repeat my tests." She folded her arms and looked at him, waiting.  
Ash grumbled.  
"Ally is right," Kayla said. "You shouldn't jump as long as we are not sure that this thing will really be no problem."  
"I wanted to check the new guard station in the cave," he protested.  
"Take a horse as anybody else. It is not _that_ long ago that you have been a normal person."  
"I'm Mistborn since over a year now. It is not that easy."  
"Trust me, brother. It is."  
"Women!" he growled.  
"Why, I agree with them," Brandon noted.  
Ash let his shoulder's drop.  
"We just don't want you to get hurt," Kayla said soft-spoken. "Because we love you."  
"It's been two weeks now. I don't have any problems. I barely feel the spike anymore."  
"Then turn your pewter off," Alana simply noted.  
Ash wavered. It should be easy for him to follow her request but he was afraid. What if the spike was held in position by the strength of pewter?  
"Don't worry," a familiar voice said. "Nothing will happen. You can turn it off."  
Ash perked up. He looked at the others. All three watched him, waiting for his reaction.  
"It's okay. They can't hear me," the voice explained.  
Ash tried to identify why the voice was so familiar.  
"Are you okay?" Kayla asked, cocking her head.  
"Hum?" Ash was confused. Where was that voice coming from?  
"You look like you've seen a ghost."  
"They wouldn't understand. They'd think you're going crazy," the voice said.  
Suddenly Ash remembered where he knew the voice from. "Harris!"  
"Excuse me?" Alana looked at him confused.  
"Um, nothing." He shook his head. "Just got something in my mind."  
She frowned. "Will you turn your pewter off or not? It is your decision."  
"Do it. Nothing will happen. Trust me," Harris' voice said.  
Still Ash wavered. Could he trust the voice? Or was he really going crazy?  
"You won't be able to protect your family if you don't trust yourself. If you worry about the spike, you will be too _weak_ to protect them." Harris voice was loud and clear, and it bore disapproval.  
Again Ash looked at the others, but apparently they didn't hear the voice. He took a deep breath and turned his pewter off. Nothing happened. He didn't feel weak, nor did he feel the spike. He sighed relieved.  
"It is off," he said.  
"How do you feel?" Kayla asked.  
"Actually, I feel fine." He grinned.  
"Any weakness?"  
He shook his head. "I feel ready to take on anything."  
"You feel the spike?"  
"No."  
Kayla shared a look with his father and his sister. Alana repeated the tests. In the end she smiled deeply.  
"Does that mean I can use my abilities again?" Ash asked carefully.  
"No objections from my side," Brandon said.  
"I am still concerned, but that is a rather personal objection, as your sister. As healer I agree to our father."  
Ash grinned.  
"I can only ask you to be careful," Kayla said quietly.  
"I will." He gave her a kiss.  
   
He left the building over a balcony. Since he was Mistborn he rarely used the main entrance. His ability gave him a freedom not comparable to anything else. During the reign of the Lord Ruler already he had been able to do things other skaa never dared to dream of, thanks to his relationship to Alana. He had been allowed to walk in and out of the manor every time, wandering over the plantation, skip the fieldwork. He had been a free skaa. But this was totally different. There were no restrictions, no limits. Being Mistborn enabled the true freedom.  
Ash paused within the mists, watched the shifting and swirling bands of vapour. He closed his eyes, trying to enjoy the good feeling he always had when he was out in the mists. But something was different. He frowned and opened his eyes again. Instead of embracing him, dancing around him, the mist pulled away from him. He reached out, trying to touch the mist, but like a living creature it withdrew from him. "What the hell?" he wondered.  
"The mists changed," Harris said.  
Ash's frown deepened. Where did that voice come from? He dropped a coin and jumped off the balcony. He jumped through the mists towards the cave. It was daylight, but the mists covered all. Only with his tin he was able to see more than a normal human being. For him the mists were barely restricting. Still it felt strange to jump in the mists during the day. He hadn't been Mistborn for long until the mistless daylight grew quite rare. But anyway he had grown accustomed to it. It simply felt wrong to jump through the mists during the day. Again he was glad, that they had inoculated the people on the plantation. Everybody could go out now without fearing it.  
But why pulled the mists away from him? Ash landed in a crouch. It still was a mile to go until he reached the cave. Anyway, he decided to walk the rest of the way. Again he reached out for the mists but still they pulled away from him. He studied the phenomenon, carefully. Around his body were a few inches of empty space left, like a bubble around him, keeping the mists away. He frowned deeply.  
"What's going on?" he asked quietly.  
"The mists changed," Harris' voice said. "You are a powerful Allomancer and they fear you."  
"How can the mists fear me? That would mean they are a living creature."  
"They are, in a way. They attack innocent people, they kill. They killed me." The voice sounded angry. "Sooner or later they will kill all of us. You need to protect our family."  
"Why can _I_ hear you and no one else?" Ash asked directly. He paused when he saw a shadow approaching him. A moment later his uncle appeared in the mists. He gasped and instinctively shied away. "You are dead."  
"Yes, I am. But I also live within you. You are my blood."  
Ash frowned. "Is that the reason you appear to me and not to Ally?"  
Harris nodded.  
"Why?"  
"Why I appear to you? Look around you. What do you see?"  
"Mists."  
"Mists present during the day, killing mists, destroying mists. You need to protect our family. You are the only one who can."  
"Why me?"  
"You are Mistborn. You have the power of the mists. That's why the mists fear you."  
"How can I protect our family?"  
Harris shook his head. "I can't give you an answer to that. You have to find the way yourself. I just can give you advice. But my knowledge is limited."  
Ash eventually nodded. "It is good to know that you're still around. Ally would love to see you, I'm sure. She misses you terribly."  
"I know. But it is better for her not to know. It would open up old wounds."  
"You're right." Ash nodded again and walked on towards the cave. The shadowy figure of Harris disappeared behind him.  
   


### » 74 «

   
The large two story high room used to contain an indoor garden with exotic plants of white and yellow beside the more common brown and black. It had provided a place to relax throughout the whole year. But with the decreasing sunlight the plants had died one by one. Now only the empty garden potteries witnessed the former beauty. The room's large floor-to-ceiling windows in the three outer walls still provided a feeling of being outside, with the benefit that the mists kept out.  
Purill and Dockson had decided to use the room for their sparring. Usually the guards trained outside, but with the mists it was rather uncomfortable to be outside at all. The room provided natural light despite the mists and it wasn't necessary to lit oil lamps. In addition there was enough space and the men didn't have to worry to hit a wall or furniture while sparring.  
Alana stood on the balcony of the second floor. It offered a view over the whole indoor garden. Stairs led down into it but Alana just leaned on the railing and watched her husband and his friend. She had no idea if they had realized her presence already. But she guessed not, given that they were highly concentrated on their sparring. Both men wore only trousers what gave her a nice view.  
She was glad that Dockson and Purill had grown so close during the last year. They already had befriended each other on their way back from Luthadel. Especially during the time when she had lost her memory, Dockson and Purill had spent more time together. She knew that they talked about her too, but that was okay. He needed someone beside her he could talk to. Back then it had been Kelsier. She doubted that their relationship was comparable to Dockson's relationship to his long-term friend Kelsier, but it was better than nothing.  
"Hey," a soft voice said.  
She turned her head and found her brother. She smiled at him. "Hey."  
Ash stepped to the railing and looked down. "Okay, that's a rather unusual sight."  
"What? To see Dox fight, or to see him without his shirt?"  
Ash chuckled. "Both."  
"You do remember that he trained me in the use of daggers, don't you?"  
He nodded, smiling.  
"As long as he lived as a thief, he always was out and in action. He protected us and saved my life more than once with his fighting skills. But living as a nobleman made him lazy. His words, not mine." She smiled. "He is afraid to look like Breeze soon."  
"Breeze was the Soother, wasn't he? The portly one?"  
She nodded.  
"Why, that's a long way to go to end like him. Though, I doubt that Dox has the physique to grow _that_ portly."  
Alana smiled and nodded. Together they watched the sparring, silently. Ash laid his arm around her, eventually. She looked up and smiled fondly, then put her arm around his waist.  
"Where are Markes and Kareien," he suddenly asked.  
"At Enna's. Where is Kay?"  
"Sleeping. Tessa had stomach ache tonight and was crying the half night."  
"I hope she is better now."  
He nodded.  
"Who is with your girls now?"  
"Dellin and Enya."  
Alana chuckled. "Enya was jealous first, and now she babysits them more than her own siblings."  
"She wants to spend time with Dell, and he wants to take care of his sisters."  
Ash fell silent again, but Alana could see that something bothered him.  
"What troubles you?" she asked.  
He chewed his bottom lip, almost shyly. "If I go too far with my question, just stop me, okay. I don't want to be rude."  
She frowned. "Shoot!"  
"When you and Markes, I mean your fiancé . . . when you slept with him for the first time, was he---experienced?"  
Surprised she raised her eyebrows. She cocked her head and studied her brother before she answered. "Yes, he was. He learned a lot from the woman who made him a man during his manhood ceremony."  
"That manhood ceremony thing is common among the nobility, isn't it?"  
"Yes." She studied him again. "What are you aiming at, Ash?"  
Again he chewed his bottom lip. "We don't have such a ceremony among the skaa." He paused, apparently searching for words. "When I slept with Kay for the first time, I had no experience. It felt wrong. She had to show me everything." He frowned deeply. "It was embarrassing. I don't want Dellin to have the same situation later."  
Alana turned to face him directly. "You want a manhood ceremony for him?"  
He nodded.  
She smiled. "He still has time. It is usually at their fourteenth birthday. I am sure we can arrange something. There are certain ladies in Curafal. We just have to make sure it is one of the more willing ones."  
"One of the more willing ones?" He raised his eyebrows and looked at her questioningly.  
"Usually it is just the act itself, to make a boy to a man," she explained. "So I have heard at least. But Markes told me that his father had found a woman who was willing to show him the secrets how to please a woman. I really appreciated that." She smiled in remembrance.  
"I could have used someone like that too," Ash said quietly.  
She looked at him surprised. "Still?"  
He nodded.  
"Tell Kay."  
He looked at her, appalled.  
"What is the problem? You love her, she loves you. Ask her to show you what she likes."  
"That is embarrassing."  
"Don't be stupid! Do you want to please her?"  
He nodded.  
"Then you have to ask her."  
"Do you and Dox talk about such things?"  
"Sometimes." Alana looked back down at the sparring men. Their movements had grown slower, more sluggish. They apparently grew tired. "Or you ask Dox."  
Ash gasped surprised. "Excuse me?"  
"What?" She looked at him again. "He is very experienced. He knows a lot about how to please a woman. Ask him. I am sure he can give you some advice."  
"That's not exactly what we are usually talking about." Ash grimaced.  
Alana rolled her eyes. "It wouldn't all be that complicated if there was such a ceremony for boys _and_ girls."  
"And girls?" He looked at her confused.  
"Women want to please their partners too."  
"It pleases us when we can please you," he replied.  
Alana raised one eyebrow. For a moment she didn't know what to reply to that statement. "That is kind of one-sided," she said eventually.  
"I don't like the thought to have Tessa and Kendra, or Tiya in bed with a man just to---you know."  
Alana rolled her eyes. "That attitude is very egoistic."  
"Perhaps." Ash looked behind her. "Hey Dox."  
She turned and faced her husband.  
"How long have you been watching?" Dockson asked.  
"Quite a while." She grinned. "You should do that more often. I like to see you sweat."  
"You like to see me _sweat_?" He thinned his eyes and pulled her into his arms, pressing her at his sweaty body.  
Alana only protested because he was sticky and stained her dress, but in fact she liked the smell of his fresh and still warm sweat, the smell of his heated body. She raised her head, tip-toed and kissed him. He smiled in reply.  
"So, now tell me, what's an egoistic attitude?"  
"She wants something like the nobility's manhood ceremony for girls too," Ash explained.  
Dockson raised his eyebrows in surprise. He looked down at her. "Why that?"  
"I think it is unfair to expose a woman to a man without knowing what to expect. Not every woman is as lucky as I was. But still I was afraid. I didn't want to do anything wrong."  
Dockson shared a look with Ash. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that her brother shrugged. "I don't know," Dockson said. "I actually don't like the thought to have Enya or Kareien sleeping with a male whore."  
Alana pulled away from him. "Why is it so easy for you guys to have your sons sleeping with a whore for their first time? But woe it is about your daughters." She looked at them questioningly, deeply frowning. "That is unfair." She pouted.  
"Would you like to see Enya sleeping with a male whore?"  
"If he is a good man who cares and shows her certain ways. Why not?"  
"A whore and a good man who cares?" He looked at her in disbelief. "I doubt that this combination is possible."  
She rolled her eyes. "How often did you sleep with a whore?" she asked, looking into his eyes.  
"Err." Dockson grew visibly uncomfortable. "I don't know."  
"That means it was more than once or twice." She folded her arms and thinned her eyes.  
He flushed deeply.  
"Before I forget, Dox, I'd like to ask you a few questions in private," Ash said, obviously trying to rescue his brother-in-law.  
"That was a given that you guys stick together," Alana grumbled. She snorted and turned on her heels to leave.  
Dockson caught her wrist and pulled her back into his arms. He kissed her firmly. She went on grumbling what caused another kiss, this time more tender.  
"Don't try to use my own methods on me," she grumbled.  
"Why? Doesn't it work?" Dockson kissed her again. Ash chuckled.  
She felt how her grumpiness faltered. "That is unfair."  
"I know. But it never stops you." He kissed her again.  
"But you are half naked," she complained half-heartedly.  
"Hmm." He kissed her another time.  
"You are mean."  
"I had a good teacher." He smiled at her. "Do I have to go on?"  
"Better not, our quarters are way too far away for that."  
He laughed and let her go. "Will you excuse me then? I'd like to refresh myself. In addition, your brother wanted to ask me something in private." He grinned.  
"I need to check on the children anyway. They must be hungry by now," she replied.  
"Give them a kiss."  
Alana nodded and turned, about to leave. But then she realized Purill jumping up the stairs, taking three at once, what showed that he was burning pewter now. She frowned.  
"What is wrong?" she asked.  
"I have talked to the guards on duty. Have you realized how late it is?"  
"It is afternoon, why?"  
"The mists are still there."  
"That is standard at this time of the day by now, unfortunately," Dockson said.  
Purill shook his head. "There was no mistless daylight at all. The mists stayed the whole day."  
   


### » 75 «

   
The male nobility of the plantation sat together in the parlour, everyone a deep frown on his forehead.  
"Perhaps it was only that one day and the mists just didn't disappear due to weather conditions," Brandon said.  
"The mistless daylight decreased massively during the last year," Dockson replied. "It was only a matter of time until we are completely covered in mist."  
"What about the crops?" Benten asked.  
"We will have to harvest as soon as possible before we lose everything. But I'm afraid we won't have another harvest. I know no plant that can grow without daylight."  
"Beside the lichen Ally found in the cave," Ash said.  
"That's actually no plant," Dockson disagreed.  
"But can perhaps be eaten."  
"That is not a bad idea," Brandon noted. "We should check the lichen with regard to nutritional aspects."  
Dockson nodded. "That's a job for you healers. If we could use it at least to feed the livestock it would be helpful. We should look for mushrooms as well. Try to grow them, not only go on a foray. Though, we should send out people to find places where mushrooms grow in larger amounts."  
"Mushrooms can be dried and stocked," Benten suggested.  
Dockson nodded again. "Good idea. Thanks to the cave we have additional space."  
"If you send out more people on a mushroom foray we should make sure that someone controls the mushrooms, someone who can tell the poisonous apart from the eatable. There are deadly mushrooms out there," Brandon warned.  
"We will need space to dry them. We don't have the sunlight so we need a heated place to dry them fast," Ash suggested.  
"Probably in the kitchen." Brandon nodded. "I will talk to Idara about it."  
Dockson leaned back. He studied Aron, who sat quietly but seemed to consider something. "Shoot, Aron," he said.  
"In Luthadel I was on a party where they served us a plant named Baroso. As far as I remember that plant tasted quite strange, but it was a speciality not for its taste but its source. They said it was growing in complete darkness."  
"Baroso? I've never heard about it." Dockson looked around. None of the others seemed to know it. "I'll have to check the books for that. It sounds interesting and could solve our problems. However, we shouldn't ignore another source we have, fish. We haven't fished ourselves until now, but we should start it. We have a large amount of the lake bordering the plantation."  
"The fishes will die as soon as their food sources die out," Brandon said. "They feed mostly on algae and those need sunlight."  
"Probably, but fish can be dried or smoked for instance. We should store as much as we can." He looked around. "Any other suggestions?" Unanimous head-shaking came from the other men. "Very well, then." Dockson stood and so did the others.  
The group dissolved and Dockson walked to his study. He couldn't remember to have read about a plant named Baroso, but then again he had only checked the books about crops. If the plant had been grown only in small amounts then he wouldn't find any information about it in such books. But fortunately Brandon and his daughter were book fans. They had collected quite an impressive archive about anything that potentially could be used in healing or be important for a plantation.  
When they had equipped his study, they had moved all books about plants to this room amongst other books. The study now was lined with several shelves full of books. There should be at least a note about that plant in one of them.  
   
Dockson had to light the oil lamp because it grew dark outside. The sun was not set, yet, but with the mists it was already dark inside the room like on a clouded, rainy day. He had found what he had been looking for and was satisfied with the result. Baroso seemed to be the solution for their food problem. He returned the book to the shelf and folded the sheet of paper with his notes. He would have to go to Curafal to get the seeds he needed.  
"Are you hiding from me, again?"  
Dockson raised his head and smiled at his wife. "Why again?"  
"Well, I remember a time you did that, before the birth of the twins. You stopped it to recapture my heart." She winked at him.  
"Sorry. But I had to search the books for a plant that Aron mentioned during the meeting. I couldn't bring the whole library with me to the parlour."  
"Dox, I am kidding." She sighed and gave him a kiss. "What kind of plant is it, you were looking for?"  
"It's one that grows in complete darkness. Sunlight destroys its cells; that's why it wasn't used before as crop. But it is highly nutritional and has lots of vitamins in it."  
"A plant that grows without sunlight and that is highly nutritional and rich with vitamins?" She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "That sounds kind of impossible."  
"Why's that?"  
"As far as I know plants need sunlight to produce these things." She shrugged. "But if it works, I am fine with it." She smiled deeply.  
"I need to go to Curafal to get Baroso seeds. I hope one of the traders there has some."  
"Excuse me?"  
"I know you don't like it. But I can't hide my whole life from them. Besides, the troublemakers are dead."  
Alana shook her head. "That is not what I mean. Can you tell me the name of the plant again, please?"  
"Baroso."  
Again she shook her head, apparently totally confused. "Baroso is everything but highly nutritional, nor has it lots of vitamins. It is toxic."  
"You know Baroso?"  
She nodded. "We had several overdose cases in Luthadel. Baroso was quite popular among the young nobility, unfortunately. Actually, not only among the young noblemen. It makes you feel relaxed when you take a small amount of it. A higher amount causes hallucinations. I had one case that ended deadly." She sat down. "A teenage boy was too nervous before his manhood ceremony. He ate a larger amount of Baroso, perhaps because he thought it would help him more then. He was dead before he even met the whore." She frowned at him. "Why do you think it is nutritional?"  
Dockson walked to the shelf and pulled the book out again. He searched for the page and showed her. Alana read the short article.  
"That is not only wrong, it is a lie." She looked at the author of the book and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Jeseran? He is a botanical specialist. He should know the truth. I don't understand why he writes that."  
"Is it possible that he meant a different plant?"  
"No. Everything else fits. It was base knowledge at school. Baroso was one of the first plants we learned about during the training, because it is such a dangerous drug. I could identify it even when it is cooked and served. The yellow colour is quite unique."  
Dockson sat down. He felt sick. What would have happened if she hadn't known the plant? He would have poisoned them all.  
"There must have been a mistake during the copying of the book. I can't believe that Jeseran wrote that originally," Alana said. She met his eyes. "Oh, love. It is not your fault." She touched his face, stroking his half beard.  
"He can change words," he just said.  
"Excuse me?" She looked at him confused.  
"Bane can change written words. That's what Ham told me." He shook his head. "I'm just glad we talked about it. Your father didn't know the plant. I never expected it to be toxic. Especially after Aron said that he ate it at a party."  
"I guess it was the best party he has visited, ever." She grimaced.  
Dockson tried to smile, but he couldn't quite manage it. He felt awful. Alana sat down on his lap and laid her arms around his neck. She pulled his head under her chin, caressing him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and closed his eyes.  
"Everything is fine. Nothing happened." She kissed his head. "Come. Let us go to the kids. They miss their father, although Ash tries to replace you. And Enya already complained she hasn't seen you the whole day. She yearns for a match of Regrac with you."  
He pulled his head away from her to meet her eyes. "Is Dellin winning again?"  
She nodded and grimaced.  
"Sounds like I have to come to her rescue again."  
Alana nodded again and gave him a kiss. They stood and headed for the parlour.  
   


### » 76 «

   
Ash leaned back and watched the babies. Tessa was sleeping while Kareien and Kendra studied their wooden toys with absolute fascination. Markes explored the room. He was the one he had to watch for mostly. The boy was pretty fast. While his sister had no interest in crawling yet, he already explored everything. Unfortunately he was still clumsy and used to hit against tables, chairs and other furniture. In that moment it happened again. The boy hit the leg of the table. He sat back and shook his head. Surprisingly Markes didn't start to cry as Ash had expected. He just blinked confused.  
 _That must have hurt pretty much_ , Ash thought. He cocked his head and studied the boy. _You almost died when your mother was attacked. What if you Snapped?_  
He knew that most Mistings found out about their ability because they burned trace minerals coming from water or metal cutlery. The kids got water to drink from time to time beside breast milk. Out of curiosity he burned bronze. But there was no pewter pulsing coming from the boy. Surprisingly there was another source of pulsing in the room. He turned his head and followed the pulsing. It was tin as he recognized. The pulsing came from Kareien and Kendra. Ash raised his eyebrows. It wasn't one pulsing, it were two. Both girls were burning tin while examining their toys. He gasped in surprise. Kendra had been the baby that almost had died during the birth. She had been strangled by the umbilical cord.  
 _That means we don't have to worry about you two when we have to go out into the mists with you._ Kareien suddenly shook her hand, grimacing. Apparently she had hurt herself. Ash stood and walked over to see what happened. Her finger was bleeding.  
"How did you do that, hon?" he asked smiling and caressed her head. Then he saw that a part of the toy was broken and a splinter of wood stuck up. "I have to repair that." He sighed. Then he perked up. He still was burning his bronze and now felt another pulsing, that of pewter. He turned his head and looked at Kareien. The girl smiled at him and held her arms into his direction. The pulsing came from her.  
"Wait a minute. You burned tin a moment ago and now you are burning pewter?" His eyes widened in realization and he started to grin. "That means you are Mistborn. You are like me!"  
Ash grabbed the girl and threw her into the air. She squeaked from joy.  
"That means the two of us will spend a lot of time together in the future." He smiled deeply.  
"Why is that?" Dockson asked.  
Ash turned his head and faced his sister and her husband. Did he see a hint of jealousy in Dockson's eyes?  
"I guess you should sit down first. We have to tell you something."  
"We?" Alana asked.  
He grinned. "Yes, Kareien and I."  
They sat down on the couch where he had sat just a few minutes before. He sat Kareien on his knee that she could see her parents.  
"Your daughter is Mistborn," Ash simply said.  
Alana raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Why do you think so?"  
"She burned tin and pewter within a couple minutes."  
"Where did she get the metals from?" Dockson asked. He sounded unconvinced.  
"Trace elements," Alana said.  
Ash nodded confirmative.  
"But how can you be so sure?" she asked.  
"I could feel the pulsing. First tin and when she hurt herself with a splinter, there was pewter."  
"Are you sure it was both her and not one of the other children?" Dockson still was sceptical.  
Ash looked at him without saying a word. His sister chuckled.  
"Be mild with him, Ash. He is no Allomancer," she said.  
"Thanks for reminding me that my whole family has Allomantic abilities beside me," he grumbled.  
"I don't." Enya dropped on the couch next to him, snuggling up to him. "And Elyria doesn't."  
Dockson laid his arm around her shoulder and gave her a kiss on her cheek. "Thanks, hon."  
The girl smiled.  
"I like my ability, although sometimes I'd prefer Pulling instead of Pushing. Then I wouldn't have to walk for some things," Dellin said.  
Ash grinned. "Trust me. Pulling without Pushing can be quite painful." He turned to Dockson and Alana again. "However, Kendra at least burns tin as well. That means those two should be safe from the mists."  
"When did they Snap?" Dellin asked.  
"Kendra during birth, I guess, and Kareien when your aunt was hurt in Curafal."  
"Shouldn't Markes have Snapped then too?"  
"It is possible," Alana replied. "Both were very weak but I don't know if it was traumatic enough for him. Anyway, it doesn't mean that he is an Allomancer."  
"I'll have an eye on them and keep my bronze burning when I'm around him and Tessa," Ash suggested.  
"That's a good idea." Dockson nodded, apparently now convinced.  
   


### » 77 «

   
The earthquake rumbled. Several objects fell to the ground. Ash leaned over the babies, protecting them with his body just in case.  
"They are getting worse." He could hear the fear in Kayla's voice. She sat next to him on the bed, steadying herself as good as possible on the mattress.  
"You need to protect them," Harris voice suddenly demanded. The voice had been quiet for a while. Ash had almost forgotten that Harris was watching him.  
The earthquake abated. "I need to talk to Dox about that. I think we should prepare the people for the cave."  
Kayla frowned. "Do you think it will be safe during an earthquake?"  
"The station never had problems. They feel the rumbles but there was never a cracking or similar what made them worry."  
She nodded. "What about Tessa? What if the mists attack her or even kill her?"  
He saw the fear in her eyes. "I wished I could tell you that you don't have to worry. But there was no sign of Allomantic abilities, yet. I doubt that she has Snapped at all."  
She looked away.  
"Can I leave you alone?"  
Kayla nodded.  
He studied her for a moment, uncertain. Then he stood and gave her a kiss. "I'll be back as soon as possible."  
Ash left his quarters and walked over to the next door. He knocked. It was late evening already so they possibly had retired. The door opened a minute later. His sister was wearing a robe. Surprised she looked at him.  
"Hey," he said. "Anything okay?"  
She nodded. "We are fine, just a bit shaken."  
"Is Dox with you?"  
Alana shook her head. "No. He was in the parlour when I left him half an hour ago."  
Ash nodded. "Thank you." He turned but then paused. He looked back over his shoulder. "Could you have a look at Kay? She was a little disturbed."  
"Certainly."  
"Thanks." He smiled.  
Then he followed the hallway toward the centre of the building. The parlour was located close to the main entrance but on the upper floor. When he entered the parlour, he found Dockson standing at a window, looking outside.  
"Is it a bad time?" Ash asked.  
Dockson turned. "No. I'm just thinking about some things. You want to talk to me?"  
Ash nodded. "The earthquakes are getting worse as well as the ashfalls. It worries me. I was thinking that we should prepare our people to move into the cave, tell them about it. I have the feeling that it won't take much longer until we have to leave."  
Dockson nodded in agreement. "I thought the same. We should send out messengers to the hovels to prepare the people and tell them where the cave is. We will have to reinforce the security at the cave then too, just in case."  
"Right. The stocked food could be tempting."  
"I was thinking about sending a messenger to some of the plantations around. Most of them have only a few people left. We should give them the opportunity to move in as well."  
"No!" Harris' voice disagreed. "They will eat all the food and our family will starve. The more people go with us the less food our family will have. It's already crazy to take in all of the skaa from _this_ plantation."  
Ash frowned. He had had that thought before already, but never dared to voice it. "I don't think that is a good idea," he said. "There are already way too many people. Why don't we just limit it to the closest hovels around the manor?"  
Dockson looked at him with incredulous astonishment. "Do you suggest leaving some of our _own_ people behind?"  
"We have a limited amount of food. The more people we bring to the cave the shorter the time we can survive on the stored food."  
Dockson studied him with narrowed eyes. "That would mean to abandon our own people, to let them die just to give us a few more days."  
"We aren't talking about a couple days. If we limit our people to the half we can double our survival. That means at least one more year."  
"Those people harvested our corn, they herded our livestock, and they worked for us with all their heart. They did that because they trust us, because they trust us _not_ to abandon them, to feed them. They stayed while other plantations lost most of their workers. They _trust_ us! We can't just leave them to die." Dockson's voice had grown louder.  
"This is not about trust but survival," Ash disagreed. "I just ask you to think about it."  
Dockson looked at him for quite a while, wordlessly. "What would Ally say if she heard you talking like that?" he said eventually.  
Ash looked away. He swallowed. _She would be pissed_ , he thought. _But perhaps deep inside, she would understand._  
"This isn't about us. This is about our children. We need to protect them," he replied quietly.  
Dockson shook his head. "I am responsible for these people and I will _not_ abandon them. Period!"  
   
When Dockson went to bed he still was bothered by the conversation he had had with his brother-in-law. His suggestions were rather untypical for the man. Usually he was the one who tried to protect everyone. But the last months had changed all of them. Ash now had four children and a wife to care for. He worried for them and Dockson could understand that. But anyway, he would not abandon his people.  
They didn't know what would come after that mistless time of the legend, if it came at all. However, without sunlight they would struggle one way or another. They could only try to make the best of it. He slipped under the blanket.  
"Hey," Alana said quietly, not to wake the babies.  
"Hey, love."  
"You talked to Ash?"  
He nodded and gave her a summary of the conversation. Finally he told her about Ash's suggestions too. She frowned about that, but didn't comment it.  
"You think the mistless day will come?" she asked.  
"I don't know. But the whole situation with the earthquakes is getting worse. The ashfalls increase day by day. We should expect the worst." He looked at her. "I was thinking about sending messengers to the surrounding plantations as well. There are not many people left."  
"You want to take them in as well?"  
He nodded.  
Alana smiled deeply. "You are a very kind man, you know that?"  
"Rather insane. There was a time I used to kill noblemen, now I am trying to save them." He sighed.  
His wife gave him a kiss. "I like that kind of insanity."  
Dockson chuckled.  
Suddenly her face clouded.  
"What?" he asked.  
"I would like to send a messenger to Curafal as well."  
He looked at her surprised. "We can't take in the people from Curafal. There is not enough space. And we don't have enough food to feed them all."  
"I am not talking about all people, just about Esten and his family."  
That name hit him like a horseshoe. He almost had forgotten about Esten. They hadn't talked about him since a year. But the name alone immediately let his jealousy return. He never had met the man, what made it even worse. He was some kind of a mystery for him, a mystery Alana had almost married if the Lord Ruler hadn't died before.  
"No," he heard himself say.  
"What?" She looked at him confused. "Why not?"  
"I don't want him around."  
"Are you kidding me? You don't even know him."  
"I know enough about him, enough not to like him."  
She raised her eyebrow. "There is no reason not to like him. He is a good man."  
"Perhaps. However, I don't want him in our cave."  
Now Alana sat up and stared at him. "This is ridiculous!"  
"I think I made my position clear," he just said. He definitely didn't want that man around.  
"You are jealous."  
"Yes, I am."  
"You can't damn him just because you are jealous."  
"Trust me, I can."  
"This is my cave as well. That means I also can decide who will be there."  
"Everyone but him."  
Anger flashed in her eyes. She growled.  
In that moment Markes started to cry. Dockson didn't know if it was just hunger or if the boy had sensed the anger. Alana immediately rolled over and took the boy out of the baby bed. She gently rocked him. But the boy made a smacking sound. She bared her breast and nursed him.  
Eventually she looked up and met his eyes again. Still he saw anger in her eyes. But he wasn't willing to give in. "It doesn't matter anyway. He wouldn't have enough time to come to the cave when the event really happens," he said to ease the situation.  
Alana clenched her jaws. She looked away and concentrated on Markes. It took a couple minutes until the boy was asleep again. But instead of returning to their conversation she slipped under the blanket and turned her back to him.  
Dockson took a deep breath. They had fought before but it had never ended this way. He raised his hand to touch her shoulder but something deep inside held him back. He knew, his feelings for Esten Mondo were irrational but he couldn't help himself. In addition to the man's already existing mysterious air she never had told him what had happened in Curafal the days before the ball, what had caused that wistfulness in her eyes. And that maddened him.  
He slipped back under his half of the large blanket, turning his back to her as well. It felt wrong but he couldn't jump over his shadow. He listened to her breathing, hoping that she would take the initiative, but she didn't. He closed his eyes, frustrated. Frustrated about himself and about her stubbornness. Why had it to be Esten? Why must she bring up that topic again? He clenched his teeth.  
"What happened in Curafal?" he heard himself ask, but couldn't suppress an angry tone.  
"None of your business," she growled.  
"Fine!" He pushed back the blanket, grabbed his pillow and stood. Then he left the sleeping room and went for the main room. There he lay down on the couch, plugging the pillow under his head. It was cold without a blanket but at the moment he was too proud to go back and get one.  
After a couple minutes Dockson heard that the door to the sleeping room opened, but he didn't turn. A blanket was spread over him, wordlessly. Shortly later, he heard the door close again. He turned and looked over. But she had left. He sighed frustrated.  
"Damn."  



	16. Chapter 5 - Part 3

### » 78 «

   
She had lain awake for a couple more hours after their fight, ruminating. Afterwards she hadn't slept well and therefrom was up early. After nursing the babies, she had brought them to Enna. Dockson had still been sleeping on the couch.  
She walked to her study. As expected her father wasn't there. He usually used the study only in the evening when he returned from the hospital. They would have to think about what to do with the patients there. They couldn't just leave them there when they went to the cave.  
Alana sat down at her desk, pulling out pen and paper. Then she started to write a letter. It didn't contain much, given that she didn't know what personal words to write. She knew her husband would be angry at her because of his stupid jealousy. But she couldn't let Esten and his boy die. She had to warn him at least. She told him about the legend and that they should seek out shelter the day the mists disappeared.  
When she was done with the letter she paused. Hadn't Dockson said that Bane was able to change written words? He already had altered the text in the book about the Baroso. She sighed. She could only hope that her message was too unimportant to be changed.  
Alana heated the wax and sealed the message. Then she stood and went out to fetch a messenger who would bring the letter to Curafal. She told him a voiced message as well, that Esten should seek shelter underground when the mists disappeared. The explanation was in the message, but if Bane changed the words in there he at least would know the most important part.  
Afterwards Alana left the manor and walked out into the mists, heading toward her favourite place to think, the boulder near the lake. She had decided to run instead of taking a horse. Pewter made life so much easier, unrestricted. After a few minutes she reached the area and slowed down. She followed the narrow path down to the water.  
Suddenly she paused. There was someone talking. She recognized Ash's voice and it sounded as if he was talking to someone else. But she couldn't hear the reply. Perhaps the person talked hushed. Slowly she approached them. But surprisingly she found Ash alone. He turned, startled.  
"Who were you talking to?" Alana asked.  
Ash shrugged. "To myself."  
She frowned. "I do that from time to time too, but I usually do that silently."  
"I thought to be alone here."  
For a moment she was thinking about asking if he wanted her to leave, because he seemed to be aloof. But Dockson's words from last night returned to her mind. They troubled her. "Are you okay?" she asked instead, joining him on the boulder.  
"I'm fine," he replied.  
Alana's frown deepened. "I don't believe you."  
Ash raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Why?"  
"You suggested abandoning your own people."  
Ash sighed. "He told you. I should have known."  
"If you don't want him to tell me such things, you have to make him promise. However, he told me because he worries about you."  
"Dockson worries about me? That's new."  
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, looking at him confused.  
Ash shrugged. "I don't know. I never had the feeling that he cares much about me, beside your relationship to me."  
His words hurt her. "That is not true and you know that," she replied. "You are his friend. Perhaps not the kind of friend as Purill is for him, but you are a close friend, you are his family. Of course he cares for you. He would do anything to protect you and not because of me, because of you." She laid her hand on his arm. "Ash, what is wrong with you?"  
"Nothing."  
Alana inhaled softly. "There was a time when you told me about your problems," she said. "What has changed?"  
"We have families, new responsibilities. We aren't those innocent children anymore. You have your own problems and so I have mine."  
"That doesn't change the fact that we can talk about anything. You are still my brother." She met his eyes. A few seconds later he looked away, what hurt her even more. She blinked tears away. Still she suffered from the fight with Dockson, and now that.  
For a moment they sat in silence. But to sit there at one of the spots they had used to meet as children, they had used to talk, to ponder, even to plot against her noble family, made the pain inside even more acute. They had always talked about anything, had been able to let their guard down when being together. But now they just sat there in uncomfortable silence. When she couldn't bear it anymore, she stood.  
"There was a time you used to trust me," she whispered, tears now running down her face. She turned and walked away before he even looked up.  
The mists had already swallowed him behind her when she heard his muffled voice. "Harris," he simply said.  
Alana paused. "What?" She was confused.  
"You asked me who I was talking to, earlier. I was talking to Harris."  
She turned and walked back to her brother. When she reached him she stared at him in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"  
"Sit down, please," he said.  
Alana sat down next to him again, tucking her legs up beneath her.  
"Shortly after my encounter with the Inquisitor, after I recovered from my wounds, I started to hear Harris' voice. Later I could see him too." He looked at her. "I know it sounds like I'm going crazy but he guided me since."  
"I don't understand. Why do you think it is not due to your wounds? That you do not suffer from a head trauma? Why do you think it is real?"  
Ash shrugged. "I don't know. It is a feeling. If it is pure imagination shouldn't he be able to read my thoughts?"  
"He doesn't know what you think?"  
He shook his head. "If I want a reply from him to a question, I have to voice it. He never answers when I only _think_ the question." He met her eyes again. "He would have appeared to you but it isn't possible because you're not blood related."  
Alana closed her eyes. That sounded so surreal. But there had been so many surreal things proven to be real the last years. "Is he here now?" she asked.  
Ash nodded. "He's standing right next to you. He thinks you'll call me crazy."  
"To be honest, two years ago I had, but by now I don't know, what I can believe and what not. Too many strange things happened."  
"So you believe me?"  
She looked at him, studying his familiar face for a while, seeing his sincerity. "I trust you, and that is enough for me."  
He pulled her into his arms and she leaned against his shoulder. "I'm afraid, Al," he said eventually. "I worry for Kay and the kids. I don't want them to die."  
She could hear the fear in his voice. "I know what you mean. I am afraid too."  
"Kay fears that Tessa will be taken by the mists when we go out with her."  
"I know. She told me. I fear the same for Markes. I am so glad that Kareien is Mistborn. She will be safe from that. But what about the coming years? Will we be able to survive? What will happen after the day the mists disappear?"  
"I don't know."  
"Can't you ask Harris? Perhaps he does know."  
Ash turned his head, probably to face the - for her invisible - appearance of Harris. "He doesn't know. But he says we should make sure that we survive as long as possible. We will need the stored food."  
"Is that why you suggested leaving the others behind?"  
He nodded.  
"We can't do that. Those people trust us. And I know all of them personally. I have treated most of them during the years. They stayed because of father and me. They trust in _me_. I can't just abandon them."  
Ash nodded again. "I see."  
Alana frowned and looked at him.  
"I'm sorry, that didn't come out as intended. It is easier for me to focus on our family because I don't know these people."  
"You have helped Kay to treat them," Alana disagreed.  
"Still they are strangers to me. But I understand your argument. You are right. They trust in you. You shouldn't let them down."  
"It is not just that. The food we have stored in the cave couldn't be there if they hadn't helped us. It is their food as well as ours."  
"You are right."  
"I know you are afraid. We just can give out minimum rations, and then it will last longer."  
He nodded and she snuggled into his embrace.  
"I love you, Ash. I will always love you. We will make it, one way or another. I don't know how but deep inside I know we will survive."  
   


### » 79 «

   
The night was dark, darker than usual, but not because of the mists or bad weather. The ashfalls had increased drastically. The ash now fell in frightening amounts. Although they cleaned the courtyard daily, it already was covered by more than one foot of ash again.  
"We don't have to worry about the mists choking our plants," Dockson said quietly. "The ash will bury us sooner or later." He stood under the porch roof of the main entrance.  
Purill stepped to him. He was on guard duty at the manor that night. "It is worse than it ever has been in Luthadel. I can't remember such heavy ashfalls," he said.  
"Me neither." Dockson turned his head to face his friend. "We should think about moving the people into the cave within the next days. With that much ashfall movement will soon be impossible for carts."  
"The people are prepared to leave. Just give the signal and the messengers are on their way."  
"What do you think how long it will take?"  
"To inform them, or to bring all of them to the cave?"  
"To bring all of them to the cave."  
"Couple hours. We have prepared carts in each hovel complex. The people from the farthest hovel might take seven hours when they walk fast. In the worst case they'll take up to ten hours. With that amount of ash I think it will be the worst case."  
"Perhaps we should send out the messengers in the morning. Then they all can be at the cave in the evening."  
Purill nodded. "Will you discuss this with the other nobility first or is it decided?"  
Dockson took a deep breath. He was the leader of the plantation what meant his word was decisive. "I'll talk to the rest of the family first." He turned and walked inside.  
Another earthquake rumbled under his feet, almost pulling him to the ground. He steadied himself at the wall. It took a moment until the quake subsided.  
"What the hell? Dox! You still there?" Purill's voice sounded from the entrance.  
"Yes!" he called back.  
"You need to see that."  
Dockson hurried back to the entrance, afraid that the earthquake had done more damage than he had expected, but outside everything seemed to be normal.  
"What?" he asked confused.  
"Look at the mists!"  
Dockson frowned and studied the mists. Something was different and something felt very wrong. The mists were moving. Not in pattern or with the wind as he was used to, they flowed, swirling, like water in a torrential river. And they gained speed. "What the hell?"  
"I've never seen something like that," Purill said. "They flow to the north."  
The men stood, dumbfounded, for a few minutes unable to react on what they were witnessing. And suddenly the mists were gone. Dockson gasped in shock. He shared a look with Purill.  
The Thug turned and pulled a string hidden behind the doorframe. A moment later the sound of a bell chimed over the courtyard. It would alarm the guards and servants, at the least.  
"Inform the other guards and send the messengers on their ways. And then go and get your family. We're moving _now_!" Dockson turned and ran towards the parlour.  
He almost crashed into Ash when he ran around a corner.  
"Whoa! You're fast," the Mistborn just noted.  
"You should leave your steel burning then you would have seen me coming."  
"Don't worry, you were loud enough." He winked at him. "However, what's wrong?"  
"Have you looked out of the window lately?"  
"No, why?"  
"The mists are gone."  
"What?"  
"We are moving into the cave. Tell the others."  
   
The black sky was dotted with thousands and thousands of luminous spots, visible despite the large amount of ash in the air. It was a strange sight, but beautiful as well. However, it wasn't the strangest thing in that night. There was a trek of hundreds of people who walked by foot, rode on horseback or went by cart or carriage through the night, and everyone could be seen by the light of torches. There was no mist limiting the sight.  
 _That must be the way a Tineye could see through the mists_ , Alana thought. She sat inside of one of the carriages, her daughter Kareien on her lap. Enya sat next to her, carrying her brother Markes. With them were Kayla and her three younger children. Ash and Dockson were out, coordinating the trek, while Lord Brandon and Elyria used another carriage.  
They had been worried about that day, not just because of the event itself but the potential threat to their children. And now it seemed ridiculous. Why hadn't they thought of it earlier? There was no mist, and so they hadn't been forced to expose them to the mists.  
"A rider is coming closer," Kayla suddenly said.  
Alana looked out of the window again. She spotted Dockson on his brown stallion that seemed almost black in the night. He approached the carriage and slowed his horse down into lockstep to the carriage horses.  
"Hey," he said. "You okay?"  
Alana nodded.  
"We will reach the cave soon."  
"The others will have no problems to find us. We leave a clearly visible path in the ash."  
"True." Dockson turned on his horse, looking toward something behind them. "I need to go." He stopped the horse and turned it. Then he cantered away.  
Alana followed him with her eyes for a moment then moved her head back in. She locked gaze with Kayla. There was fear in her eyes.  
"Everything will be fine. I am sure," Alana just said.  
   


### » 80 «

   
The ground was covered by blankets. Only a few lanterns were lit, hanging about ten feet above the ground, lightening the cavern. They had not much lantern oil but the lanterns were better than torches. The smoke would have polluted the air. The large caverns were subdivided by sheets spanned between stakes that had been driven into the ground a couple weeks ago. Alana was glad about the little privacy they provided for the families, although the parcels were still large and inhabited by up to fifty people. She walked from section to section, talking to the people, checking their state of health.  
Alana spotted her father who talked to a crying woman. She was sure that he Soothed her as well.  
"Hey," a familiar voice said softly.  
Alana turned and faced Dockson. "Hey," she replied, smiling.  
"How are they?"  
"Afraid."  
He nodded in understanding.  
"Have you been outside?"  
He nodded again. "It is dark outside."  
Alana frowned. "It should be noon by now."  
"I know. Purill said, for a short time it was normal morning, although without mists and without ash, but it was terribly hot. Do you remember the spinning feeling we had earlier?"  
"How could I forget that? For a moment I thought I had to puke."  
Dockson grinned slightly. "Fortunately you haven't. However, Purill said suddenly the sun dropped again within a short moment and darkness fell. Afterwards, Jenno saw a large flood wave on the lake, about a hundred feet high, but fortunately it rolled towards the other side of the lake."  
Alana gasped. She didn't want to think about what would have happened when such a wave had rolled into their direction. They weren't that far away from the lake. "What will we do now?" she asked.  
He shrugged. "Wait, I guess."  
Alana nodded. "Will you look after Enya, please? I think she needs her father right now."  
"Certainly!"  
He gave her a kiss and turned to head toward their own section. Alana smiled fondly while she watched him leaving the cavern. They had settled inside the main cavern with their family. The second cavern was mostly inhabited by people from the outer hovel complexes plus a noble family from one of the neighbouring plantations. She turned back to the family she had been talking to before.  
"You should try to get some sleep," she told them.  
She talked for a while to the younger people who had a lot of questions. Unfortunately she couldn't really answer most of them. Out of the corner of her eye she suddenly spotted her brother. He hurried through the cavern toward the water basin. She frowned. There was something in his posture that made her stomach twist. She hid behind one of the sheets that he didn't see her.  
When he entered the corridor to the water basin she stood and followed him.  
   
"Ash?"  
He spun. Alana stood at the entrance to the water cave. She looked at him, deeply frowning.  
"What are you doing?"  
"Nothing," he replied short-spoken.  
She stepped closer and grabbed for the vial in his hand. He pulled his hand back.  
"What is this?" she asked, wary.  
"Nothing."  
She studied him with sad eyes for a while. "You have changed, Ash," she said quietly then.  
"I simply adapted to the situation, I told you." He turned away from her.  
"What is in that vial, Ash?" Alana asked softly.  
"I just try to protect my family, try to protect you."  
She didn't reply. He turned again to look what she was doing. She stood there, wide-eyed, staring at him in disbelief. He swallowed.  
"Please, tell me that there is no poison in it," she said, her voice trembling.  
"The supplies won't keep us alive forever. They'll eat it all up. We won't survive even a month with all these people. They won't feel it. They'll just fall asleep. And you don't have to worry that they think you have abandoned them."  
"Is that your excuse . . . your excuse for killing six hundred people?"  
"There still are more than half a thousand left," he replied.  
She thinned her eyes. "Who are you? Are you a kandra?"  
"I'm still the same. I just grew realistic."  
"Realistic? By becoming a killer?"  
He shrugged. "Sometimes you have to be what you don't want to be, if you want to protect your people."  
"Those _are_ your people."  
He shook his head. "My family are my people."  
For a moment she stood there, silent, staring at him, uncertain. "You know I can't let that happen," she whispered eventually.  
"She is going to kill you!" the voice in his head said, Harris voice.  
"No," Ash replied.  
"She will. She'd rather protect all of them. But with that she'll kill us all. You have to protect the others."  
Ash saw how she reached for the dagger she wore at her belt.  
"She will kill you," Harris said. "You have to kill her first."  
"No, please. Ally, don't."  
"Give me that vial and we simply forget that," she said.  
"I can't. I have to protect them."  
"Then you leave me no choice." Her voice trembled. A moment later she attacked.  
Ash dodged her attack. Instinctively he Pushed at her dagger. But there was no metal on it. It was made from obsidian glass. She never wore any metal. Markes had taught her that.  
"Please, Ally," he pleaded, but she attacked again.  
This time he caught her arm and twisted it. The bone didn't break because it was strengthened by her pewter. But with his own pewter strength combined with his muscular build he was able to twist it enough to make her yelp. Her grip loosened and the dagger dropped to the ground.  
But she didn't back off. Instead she crashed her elbow into his stomach. He didn't care. She wasn't strong enough anymore to do serious harm to him. And she knew that. But still she went on fighting. Her knee went up and met the sensitive spot between his legs. He howled. A moment later she was up onto his back, wrapping her arm around his neck, choking him.  
"Please, Ally. Stop it," he pleaded again.  
But she didn't. She didn't let him go, she even pressed further.  
"She won't stop. She will kill you, if you don't stop her. She will kill all of us," Harris screamed in panic.  
Ash broke free. Alana slumped to the ground. Before she could jump back to her feet he was above her, pinning her to the ground. He grabbed for her throat and his fingers clinched it, choking her. She tried to break free but he was too strong for her. Despite her pewter her resistance slowly faded. He pressed on. Suddenly he saw the tears in her eyes and he realized the desperation in there too.  
 _I told her that she'd never have to fear me and now I am trying to kill her!_ he thought. "What am I doing?" he gasped.  
"Kill her!" the voice in his head screamed.  
"No!" Ash let her go and stumbled back.  
Alana gasped for air, coughing heavily.  
"Harris would have never said that. He loved her."  
Alana still coughed and breathed heavily. She obviously tried to stay conscious. Ash stumbled away from her even more, clearly now realizing what he had been doing.  
"Kill her! She will kill us all!" the voice went on screaming.  
He ignored the voice. "It started when I had recovered from my wounds. But why did I survive the attack? Why didn't the Inquisitor kill me? I was already down. Why didn't he finish it? Why didn't he check if I'm really dead?"  
Suddenly he knew. He ripped his shirt and the jutting part of the thin metal spike in his chest was unveiled.  
"Unless he already _was_ finished." He looked at his sister.  
She lay on the ground. She didn't move but she looked up at him, still breathing heavily.  
"The storage was just a distraction. He came to implant me this. I don't know how, but with the spike came the voice. It must be Bane!"  
Alana's eyes widened with realisation. "You think Bane controls you?" she asked with croaky voice.  
He nodded. Tears filled his eyes. "I almost killed you," he whispered. "I'm so sorry, Al. I love you."  
With that he grabbed for the metal spike and ripped it out of his flesh with a sudden pull.  
"Nooo---!" he heard the voice in his head scream, stopping abruptly when the metal left his flesh.  
Ash let the spike drop. Pulsating, blood spilled out of the wound the spike had left. Ash fell to his knees a moment later.  
"Ash!" Alana jumped to her feet, panic in her voice.  
Ash wondered about it. _I almost kill her but still she has the power to come to me when I fall. She tried to kill me, but still she worries for me._ A moment later she was at his side.  
"You idiot!" she scolded. "There would have been another way."  
He touched her face. "Tell Kayla that I'm sorry."  
"You do that yourself, you hear me! Flare your pewter!" she ordered, pressing her hand on the wound.  
The world grew dizzy. He barely could see how she ripped her own clothing to make a pressure bandage.  
"Flare it!" she demanded again. "Don't dare to die! I have lost enough people, you hear me! You stay with me! You don't just run away. I don't allow that. Kareien needs a Mistborn trainer. Don't dare to leave her alone. Flare it!"  
He flared his pewter. He knew it wouldn't help but still he listened to her. After all, she was the healer. A moment later anything blackened.  
   
She lay on the side, watching him. They had operated him as soon as she had carried him back to the cavern. He was alive, barely. Now he lay there on a mattress right next to her, Kayla on his other side, fearing for his live as well.  
Again and again Alana relived the preceding event. Still she felt his hands on her throat. She had covered it with a shawl, so that no one would see the appearing bruises. It only would raise questions, questions she wasn't willing to answer. She hadn't told them what happened. She had only told them that Ash suspected to be manipulated by Bane and that the spike was the reason for it, that he suspected that the Inquisitor came to implant this into him. It was like an Inquisitor's spike, just much smaller. She knew if Ash was right with the spike, it also meant that Dockson had been right with the idea, that Bane controlled the Inquisitors.  
Dockson laid his arm around her, comforting her. He had stopped asking questions the moment he had met her eyes. She didn't know if he guessed what had really happened. Beside her he was the only person who knew about Ash's thoughts. That he had thought the other people would threaten their survival.  
Alana doubted that he had told Kayla. She had been the one who had been angry at her when she wasn't willing to feed all the starving people of Luthadel. How would she react on the murderous thoughts of her husband?  
 _I will never tell her_ , Alana promised silently. _She must not find out about that._ She looked at her brother _. I love you, Ash. That wasn't you there. I know you would never hurt me. You have to survive! I need you! Kareien needs you! Your family needs you!_  
   


### » 81 «

   
The cavern lay in silence. The few who were still awake didn't talk. Most of the people slept and so did his family. He studied his brother-in-law. The man lay on his mattress like sleeping, but he knew that he was as good as dead. His chances to survive were very small. The spike had hit the heart directly and he had lost lots of blood already.  
Dockson heard his wife sob and looked down at her. She was sleeping but grimaced with pain. Carefully he caressed her face. Eventually, she awoke with a small cry and sat bolt upright.  
"Hey, everything is okay," he whispered.  
She turned to him and cuddled into his arms immediately, sobbing quietly.  
"It was just a nightmare," he said softly.  
She shook her head. "It felt too real."  
"You want to talk about it?"  
"It was about Elend," she said. "He was at a place with caverns underground together with thousands of people from Luthadel and Terris. He was fighting koloss together with his soldiers. But there were so many koloss, hundreds of thousands. They all were controlled by Bane. And there was an Inquisitor. Elend fought him, but he lost. The Inquisitor beheaded him." She sobbed again.  
Dockson closed his eyes.  
"Then there was Sazed," Alana went on. "Two corpses fell from the sky. One was Vin and the other one a man I don't know. The both leaked smoke, Vin white smoke and the man black smoke. Sazed absorbed it." She shook her head. "He became divine and made the world anew."  
"Well, okay, the first part sounded like a real nightmare but that last part is simply ridiculous." Dockson looked at her.  
"Then tell me, why I had the same dream?"  
Alana turned her head and gasped in surprise. "Ash!" She pulled out of Dockson's arms and embraced her brother.  
"Hey Sis." He pulled her close.  
Eventually she pulled away from him. "Why are you awake?"  
"I don't know. I just can tell you that I feel like new born." He grinned.  
"Ash!" Kayla cried out. He turned to her and she fell around his neck.  
"Wow, I just died and now have two beautiful women in my arms. I guess I'm a very lucky man." Ash grinned broadly.  
"I don't understand. Why are you awake? You almost died," Alana said. She looked at Dockson, but didn't let her brother go.  
"I don't know," Dockson replied. "Just a few minutes ago he looked like dead and now he seems to be pretty well."  
"As I said, I feel pretty good." Ash smiled.  
"Let us check the wound," Alana said.  
The women pulled away from him and Kayla removed the bandage. She gasped in surprise and so did Alana. The wound was gone.  
"Okay, I admit, that is strange," Dockson noted.  
"Strange, hum?" Alana looked at him, incredulously.  
Dockson grinned, but paused when he saw Della approaching. There was an expression in her face he couldn't identify. "What's wrong?" he asked.  
"You have to come and see this," the Thug said.  
In that moment Markes awoke. Dockson simply picked the boy up and stood. He didn't know why he felt secure enough to take the child with him. Alana followed his example and took Kareien. Ash and Kayla followed with their twins as well. All together they walked along the corridor toward the cave entrance, following Della. When they reached the entrance, Dockson froze. His eyes widened in surprise.  
"Didn't you say you dreamt something about Sazed making the world anew?" he asked quietly.  
"Yes. Why?" Alana said.  
He stepped aside that she could step up and look outside.  
She gasped.  
"Hey, we would like to see it too," Ash protested because they blocked the entrance.  
Alana went outside and Dockson followed her. He heard Kayla's reaction from behind. Alana knelt down and touched the green grass that covered the whole area in front of them. Everything was green. Some places were speckled with colours. Dockson headed toward a large pool of colour nearest to them. He didn't know why but he had the strong feeling it was important.  
"Flowers," he whispered with awe, when he reached it.  
"Beautiful," Alana said. She had followed him.  
Suddenly he caught a glimpse of the colour brown among the red and blue and yellow and green. He walked over. There was a large leather tome lying between the flowers. He squatted down.  
"What is it?" his wife asked.  
"I don't know, yet." A lose paper stuck between the pages. Dockson sat Markes into the grass and pulled it out. The boy was immediately excited about the grass and squeaked from joy.  
Alana sat Kareien next to Markes and joined Dockson.  
He unfolded the paper.  
 _Dockson_ , it read. _You can believe me that I was righteously surprised to find you alive. First I actually missed it but Kelsier pointed it out to me. I might have the power to see everything now but I am still a child with that power. With the time I will get better, I am sure._  
 _Oh yes, Kelsier is here, as well as Mare and all of the other people from our past who have left us too early. They are happy here where they are now. However, I am glad you are still out there and have a family. Mare is very happy that you and Mistress Elinaria, or rather Lady Alana, have married, finally._  
 _The dream Lady Alana had about the koloss and me becoming divine is - unfortunately - true. I am the Hero of Ages, and Elend and Vin have died. You will find more about the events of the last years recorded in the book. There are more books in the large flower field ahead. These contain all of the knowledge that was contained in my metalminds. Let the knowledge of the past not be forgotten._  
 _There are books about medical topics as well that will be of interest for Lady Alana. I have restored the physiology of mankind to what it has been before. She will find any necessary information in there._  
 _I am sure you wonder who of your old friends are still alive. Lord Ladrian and Lady Allrianne survived as well as Lord Hammond and his family. The lad Spook proved to be a real hero during the last months. We have missed how much he has grown. He will lead the surviving people in his area._  
Dockson felt Alana's arms around his waist. He laid his arm around her. She smiled at him. Obviously she had read the part about Ham and his family. He smiled back.  
 _Rebuilding will be difficult. But likely easier than living beneath the Lord Ruler or surviving Ruin's - or how you call him - Bane's attempt to destroy the world. Beside your group of people there are other groups of people who survived, all around the world. The largest group of survivors is concentrated where Luthadel has been located before._  
 _I have changed the world into what it was before the Ascension, rebuild the continents and mountains, placed the planet at its old position among the stars. You will find a map in the book. I have added the locations of the surviving groups. Most likely those will be the places where new civilizations will grow._  
 _By request of Kelsier I made you a Pewterarm. I wanted to make you Mistborn but both, Mare and Kelsier, asked me not to. They think you wouldn't want to be Mistborn. They know you better than I do and so I did as they wished._  
 _I am sure you will lead your people well. Sazed._  
"Pewterarm?" Alana grinned at him. "That is nice."  
He bent down to her and gave her a kiss. "Better than Mistborn." He winked at her.  
"That you have to explain to me later," she replied.  
He laughed quietly.  
"What is this?" Ash and Kayla had approached them.  
Dockson pointed at the leather bound tome. "Our past." He looked at the field of grass, the mountains, the deep blue sky and the yellow sun, that radiated comfortable warmth, not comparable with the heat of the former red sun.  
"The lake is gone," Alana suddenly said, sadness in her voice.  
"I see water over there now." Kayla pointed toward the west.  
"I guess the manor will be gone as well. We will have a lot of work to do," Dockson noted.  
"Yes, but we survived. And actually, I like what I see." Ash grinned.  



	17. Epilogue

## Epilogue

   
The horses stopped atop a small hill. It provided a terrific view over the plantation. To the right their destination Leraden, a fishing village, was visible. Its yellow thatched buildings stood out in front of the deep blue sea, where fishing boats moored at the dock. Lake South Searan was gone but a wide arm of an ocean now bordered the plantation in the west. The laughter of children sounded in the air.  
To the left the light green of grain fields alternated with the dark green of woods and the lush green of grassland. Fortunately some of the books, Sazed had left them, had contained all necessary information about agriculture with the new plants. Still it had taken a couple years until they had been able to get the plantation started again. Now everything was going pretty well.  
The grassland was speckled with brown and white dots, cows and goats. They hadn't changed much or at least the rules for herding hadn't. Fortunately they had found lots of their livestock alive including their horses. It had helped them much in the beginning.  
Behind one of the grain fields a larger hill loomed over the plantation. There they had rebuilt the manor. Its large buildings were visible between the trees in the distance.  
They hadn't rebuilt the old hovel complexes. Instead there now were several small villages on the borders of the plantation such as Leraden. Those villages were autarkic. They had their own shops that bought from the plantation or from New Curafal.  
Most of the people who lived in those villages worked the fields, went out fishing or herded the livestock. They were paid for their work. If they didn't want to work for House Cowell anymore they could quit and do whatever they wanted, but most of them stayed. Not out of gratefulness but because they knew they had a good life here.  
In most other things they had returned to old habits. House Cowell led the plantation and House Leary cared for the health of the people. They even had rebuilt the hospital. Brandon was head of the healers while Enya had taken over the hospital's general management despite her young age. She had proven to have the same organizational talent as her father.  
Alana and Kayla helped at the hospital by the hour but most of their time they spent out in the surrounding villages and on the plantation. Tiya worked at the hospital fulltime. Ash led the plantation and hospital security with Purill as his right-hand man. Della had retired from security duty a few years ago and moved to Leraden, where she helped her husband Jenno with his fishing boat.  
New Curafal had been founded by the people who had survived in Curafal. Esten had gotten Alana's message and made sure that the information spread. Thereby lots of the people had survived in the large storage cellars of some mansions.  
However, the town now was a coastal town. To the north of New Curafal a vast ocean completely separated the old South Searan area from the rest of the former Eastern Dominance. According to the maps Sazed had left them, their part of the Eastern Dominance had been moved southward and formed a continent with parts of the former Crescent Dominance and Remote Dominance. That meant it now was impossible to return to the old Central Dominance. They didn't have ships that could cross an ocean. Perhaps someday in the future the people could be reunited, but Alana somehow doubted that she or her children would live to see that day.  
She glanced at the blue sky. The yellow sun shone down on them. She took a deep breath and simply enjoyed the sight. "Can you imagine that all this has been in shades of brown only, just a few years ago?" she asked Markes, without turning her head.  
"Um, no."  
She looked at her son and smiled. "It was dull, but still it had a kind of beauty. Much better than the grey and black that was common around the Central Dominance."  
The thirteen years old boy kept quiet. He learned those things at school, but for the kids it was hard to imagine. They never had seen these things before, or had been too young to remember, and Alana was glad about it.  
"I can't stop enjoying these beautiful colours," she said. "I love the flowers most."  
Now Markes smiled as well.  
Alana took a deep breath. "Very well, we should move on, or Della will report us missing."  
A couple minutes later they arrived in Leraden. Della approached them smiling. Alana dismounted and the women hugged.  
"Hey Dell, how are you?"  
"I am fine. Damn, is that Markes? Boy, you have grown a lot the last months. It won't take much longer until you can spit on your mother's head." She laughed.  
Markes simply grinned and Alana rolled her eyes.  
"Where is our patient?" Alana asked.  
Della nodded toward one of the buildings. She walked ahead and Markes and Alana followed her.  
"Where is Kareien? I had hoped to see her too," Della said.  
"She is with Ash. You know the two of them are inseparably."  
"Yeah, that Mistborn thing bonds together."  
Markes grumbled quietly. Alana laid her arm around his shoulders. She knew he loved his sister very much and he was jealous about that bonding between her and her uncle. When she was with Ash, Markes was left alone. The twins Tessa and Kendra as well as Harris used to play with him when they were younger but the older the girls had grown the more they had ganged up on him. And Harris was a rather quiet and solitary boy who preferred to read books alone. That was the reason Alana took Markes with her more often since about two years now. He had shown interest in healing earlier and so she had started to teach him. He already was pretty good.  
They entered the building and went upstairs where a man lay in bed. His leg was bandaged provisionally.  
"Lady Cowell." He nodded at her.  
"Gadron." Alana smiled in reply and knelt down. She removed the bandage carefully. Then Markes handed her the cleaning solution he had prepared meanwhile. She cleaned the wound from dried blood.  
"I'll be downstairs if you need something," Della said.  
Alana just nodded without turning and went on with the cleaning. Finally a long cut was visible.  
"How did that happen?" she asked the man.  
"We were unloading the boat when I slipped out and fell down the footbridge. Unfortunately I got caught on one of the hooks aside the boat." He shrugged.  
Alana winced.  
"Doesn't that hurt?" Markes asked.  
Gadron shrugged again. "Della gave me something. Since then I feel pretty fine. Before I was screaming like a baby, I guess."  
Alana knew what Della had given him. She had a stock of painkillers in her house, just for such cases. "We have to sew that. The wound is not deep, fortunately. My son will do the sewing."  
"He can do that?" Gadron seemed sceptical.  
"Yes, he is a healer in training and he has sewn several wounds already. Don't worry. He is really good with that, perhaps better than I am." She smiled.  
"Well, then. Let's do it, kid."  
Alana watched Markes sewing the wound. With skilled fingers he closed the cut. A wave of proudness washed over her. It had been a while since she had taught someone. Tiya had mostly been trained by her mother and Enya never had been interested in healing. Kareien preferred to learn using her Allomantic abilities and Alana guessed that she would one day follow in Ash's footsteps, taking over the plantation's security.  
She checked the suture when Markes was done and nodded satisfied. It was perfect work. She smiled at her son. He smiled back and handed her dressing material. She started to bandage the wound.  
"Well, the Lord Ruler was killed, the world was ripped apart and made anew, but some things obviously will never change. You still care for the skaa."  
Alana froze wide-eyed but her heartbeat fastened. The voice was so terribly familiar although she hadn't heard it for years. But it was impossible. It couldn't be him. There was an ocean between them. She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. _Please_ , she pleaded. _Please, let it be him. Please!_ She felt how tears watered her eyes, but still she didn't dare to turn. She was afraid, afraid that she would be disappointed not to find him behind her, just someone with a similar voice.  
"Burn a little pewter. It helps," the voice said softly.  
Alana sobbed immediately. She stood and turned. Tears welled out of her eyes as she really found her old friend standing in the doorway. "Oh Ham!" She rushed into his arms and he pulled her close.  
"Hey, don't cry, hon," he said eventually. But she heard the tremble in his voice. He was crying himself.  
She hid her face on his shoulder. They stood for a while, Alana crying hard, Ham just holding her tight.  
Eventually she pulled away from him.  
"Now, look at your make-up," he said, grinning, his face wet from tears.  
"I don't wear make-up," she replied, chuckling.  
"Oh, damn." He laughed and wiped his tears away.  
"I have missed you so much, Ham."  
"I have missed you too, dear. You look good." He smiled deeply.  
"You too."  
"I grew old."  
"We all did." She took his face in her hands and looked at him for a while. Wrinkles had formed around his friendly eyes, but else he hadn't changed much. She gave him a kiss on his cheek.  
Ham turned to Dockson who stood next to him. "I see you took good care of her," he said.  
"I did my best, old friend." Dockson grinned. He handed her a handkerchief and she cleaned her face.  
"Old? Hey, who is the one with the grey in his hair?" Ham laughed.  
Dockson grumbled.  
"I like it," Alana said softly, touching her husband's greying temples, and gave him a kiss.  
"You're the only one."  
"Well, perhaps. But I am the only one important, I guess."  
Dockson chuckled. "That's right."  
"Who is that boy over there?" Ham asked.  
Alana waved Markes over. "Ham, this is our son Markes," she said. "Markes, this is Ham. I told you about him."  
Markes nodded. He bowed to Ham. "It is a pleasure to meet you."  
Ham laughed. "No need to bow, boy. We are family, kind of."  
"Yes, we are." Alana smiled deeply. She felt like embracing the whole world. Again tears watered her eyes.  
Dockson laid his arm around her. "Don't cry again, my handkerchief is already wet," he said quietly.  
She nudged him in reply, what made him chuckle.  
Alana embraced Ham again and he kissed her head.  
"Is Mardra with you?" she asked.  
Ham nodded. "Yes. And the kids are too."  
"The kids?" She pulled away and looked at him questioningly. "Don't tell me Mardra got twins."  
Ham frowned and shook his head. "She lost the baby a few weeks after you left."  
Alana winced. "I am sorry."  
"You were right to worry. But we didn't have to worry about it anymore, afterwards. She can't have more children." He sighed. "However, I was talking about my grownups."  
"You still call them kids? Kopal should be in his mid-twenties by now, probably married already."  
"He is not married. He and his sister aren't interested in _romantic relationships_ yet." He rolled his eyes. "And I was hoping to be a grandfather by now," he added sighing.  
Alana chuckled but then grew serious again. "Do you know anything about Morris and Rena?"  
Ham nodded. "Morris built a new hospital and Rena runs an herb shop in its neighbourhood." He grinned.  
"You are kidding?"  
He shook his head. "She had the shop for so long, and it helped the people to find back to normality. Within a few days all of her old customers, who had survived, were back."  
Alana chuckled again. "That is good to hear."  
"Mom? We are done here," Markes suddenly said.  
She turned and looked over to Gadron. The bandage was finished and the man was asleep. She looked at Markes questioningly.  
"I gave him Tarok and Granjol. He should sleep for the next couple hours."  
Alana padded his shoulders. "Good work. Thank you." She smiled at him and he returned it. Then she turned back to Ham. "There is one thing I don't understand. How did you cross the ocean?"  
"Let's say I had a lot of pewter, good wind and divine help." He winked at her.  
"Sazed?"  
He nodded.  
She smiled but then hesitated. "When will you return?" she asked carefully.  
The beefy man grinned. "Well, I like the area with its fields and woods. Guess it's a good place for retirement residence. If you don't mind that we stay,"  
Alana beamed at him. "I don't." She fell around his neck.  
   


» The End «  



	18. Ars Arcanum

## Ars Arcanum

**Alana Leary, Lady:** A high noblewoman who lives on the Leary plantation in South Searan. She was raised by a skaa foster mother after the death of her mother. She was trained as a healer at the Lord Ruler's Higher Healing School in Luthadel a couple years before the Collapse. During her four years in Luthadel she befriended Kayla, Ham and Dockson. She and Dockson have been a couple during her last months in Luthadel. She is a Pewterarm.

**Allomancer:** A person who can burn Allomantic metals like tin or pewter to heighten or earn certain abilities, like Pushing on metal objects.

**Ally:** Alana's skaa nickname

**Aphar Balal, Lord:** A nobleman living in South Searan.

**Aron Foglio, Lord:** A nobleman living on the Leary plantation. He moved from Luthadel to South Searan with Alana. He is Markes' father.

**Ash:** Foster brother of Alana. Lives on the plantation in South Searan. He is skaa and married to Kayla.

**Atium:** An Allomantic metal. While burning Atium the Allomancer can see a few seconds into the future and his mind reacts faster. Thereby he can foresee coming attacks. It is a metal that cannot be created by men. It grew in atium geodes in the Pits of Hathsin until Kelsier destroyed all Geodes there. Very rare and expansive.

**Bane:** Alias of Ruin in the skaa legends of South Searan

**Benten Leary, Lord:** Brother of Brandon Leary. Lives on the Leary plantation.

**Brandon Leary, Lord:** Father of Alana. He owns a plantation in South Searan. He is a High Healer of the Lord Ruler's Healing Guild. He is a Soother.

**Burn:** An Allomancer can burn Allomantic metals. It is no actual burning but using the metals special energy to heighten or earn certain abilities. The metal decreases while burning it until it vanishes.

**Canton:** A department of the ministry, i.e. Canton of Inquisition or Canton of Orthodoxy

**Care:** Alias of Preservation in the skaa legends of South Searan

**Carn** : A skaa servant working for House Poireen in Curafal

**Clip** : Smallest denomination of a coin, a copper coin.

**Coinshot** : An Allomancer who can burn steel and Push on metals.

**Collapse** : The fall of the Lord Ruler. He was killed by Vin, a Mistborn.

**Curafal** : Large village in the Eastern Dominance, located west of Lake South Searan. Most of the local landlords have a domicile in Curafal.

**Dayna** : Daughter of Ham and Mardra.

**Della** : One of Ham's Pewterarms

**Dellin** : Son of Ash and Kayla

**Devinshae:** A landlord who sold his old plantation in South Searan to Brandon Leary and moved closer to Luthadel. Former Master of Dockson. He killed Dockson's first love Kareien.

**Dockson** : Old right-hand man and best friend of Kelsier. Organisational genius. He and Ally were a couple during her last months in Luthadel, but he doesn't know that she is a noblewoman.

**Dockson Cowell, Lord:** Dockson's alias among the nobility.

**Dox** : Dockson's nickname

**Elend Venture, Lord** : King of Luthadel. Cousin of Alana Leary.

**Elinaria** : Alana's alias among the skaa in Luthadel

**Elyria** : Foster mother of Alana Leary, mother of Ash. She is skaa and lives on the plantation in South Searan.

**Enna** : Skaa maid of Alana who has been in Luthadel with her.

**Enya Leary, Lady** : Daughter of Alana and Dockson

**Esten Mondo, Lord** : A nobleman living in Curafal, widowed father of Web Mondo. Alana met him several times before she returned to Luthadel to find Dockson.

**Extinguish** : To cease burning an Allomantic metal.

**Fiora Leary, Lady** : Late mother of Alana. She died a couple days after giving birth from postpartum depression.

**Flare** : To draw extra power from an Allomantic metal by burning it faster, but at the expense of an earlier depletion.

**FlatlaY, Lord:** Lord Flatlay is head of House Flatlay. He lives in South Searan and has a mansion in Curafal.

**Garia:** Skaa maid who lives at Mansion Mondo. Foster mother of Lord Web Mondo.

**Gizer** : Skaa elder at the Leary plantation, father of Elyria and Harris.

**Ham (Hammond)** : Former member of Kelsier's crew. He leads a group of Mistings, specialized on security matters. He protected Alana and Kayla while they worked as skaa healers in Luthadel and trained Alana in the use of pewter. Close friend of Alana. He is a Pewterarm.

**Harris:** Brother of Elyria. He is a skaa carpenter on the Leary plantation.

**Harsworth, Lord** : Lord Harsworth is a nobleman living Curafal. He owns the Curafal Inn.

**Hedrig, Lord:** High nobleman living in Curafal

**High Healer of the Lord Ruler's Healing Guild:** A healer who was trained at the Lord Ruler's Higher Healing School in Luthadel.

**Idara** : Skaa maid at Mansion Foglio who moved with her Lordship to the Leary plantation.

**Inquisitor** : Member of a priesthood very devoted to the Lord Ruler. They have enhanced Allomantic abilities due to a transformation. They have several large metal spikes driven through their bodies.

**Kayla** : Skaa healer at the Leary plantation, former seamstress in Luthadel. She was taught as a healer by Alana during her time in Luthadel. She was married to Ronan and now is married to Ash. She is a Tineye.

**Kell** : Kelsier's nickname

**Kelsier**   Former leader of a skaa thieving crew in Luthadel. Best friend of Dockson. He was Mistborn.

**Koloss:** Dull-minded beasts created by the Lord Ruler. They are large and dangerous humanlike creatures with blue skin and red eyes. They can grow up from five to ten feet. First their skin hangs lose, but later it rips from the sheer body mass. When koloss reach blood frenzy they slaughter anyone recklessly.

**Kopal:** Son of Ham and Mardra.

**Leary plantation:** Large plantation located in the Eastern Dominance, south of Lake South Searan. It is bordered by the lake to the North and West, by the mountains of the Crescent Dominance to the South and East. Former plantation of Lord Devinshae.

**Lord Ruler** : The emperor who ruled the Final Empire. Thousand years ago he saved mankind from the Deepness, an unknown force that threatened to destroy the world.

**Lord Ruler's Higher Healing School** : A school for the healer training. Healers who complete the training are called High Healer of the Lord Ruler's Healing Guild

**Lurcher** : An Allomancer who can burn iron to Pull on metals.

**Luthadel** : Capital of the Final Empire located in the Central Dominance. Seat of the Lord Ruler

**Luthadel Hospital** : A hospital in Luthadel, divided into several departments like the Department of Obstetrics.

**Lyddy Foglio, Lady** : A noblewoman living on the Leary plantation.She moved from Luthadel to South Searan with Alana. She is Markes' grandmother.

**Makan** : A skaa elder living on the Leary plantation. He is a Tale-teller.

**Mannie** : Skaa steward at Mansion Foglio who moved with his Lordship to the Leary plantation.

**Mardra** : Ham's wife. She is a seamstress and a friend of Kayla and Alana.

**Mare** : Kelsier's wife and close friend of Kayla. She knows Alana's real identity. She is a Tineye.

**Markes Foglio, Lord** : Alana's late fiancé. He was killed by Straff Venture to punish Alana for her insubordination. He was a Coinshot.

**Marsh** : Kelsier's brother. He has been transformed into an Inquisitor during the process to topple the Lord Ruler.

**Ministry** : The Lord Ruler's priesthood. The ministry is divided into several Cantons like Canton of Finance or Canton of Orthodoxy.

**Mist** : Omnipresent fog that falls every night, creating simply in the air out of nothing. Thicker than common fog it limits the sight to about ten feet. A Tineye can pierce the mists and see much farther than others.

**Mistborn** : An Allomancer who can burn all Allomantic metals, not only a single one like a Misting.

**Misting** : An Allomancer who can burn only one metal, like a Coinshot or Soother.

**Moomy** : Alana's affectionate name for her foster mother Elyria.

**Morris Rodingoan, Lord** : Healer at the Luthadel Hospital. He is the best friend of Brandon Leary and was Alana's mentor at the Lord Ruler's Higher Healing School

**Nobility** : Descendants from the men who helped the Lord Ruler defeat the Deepness. They are highly privileged people, no matter if rich or poor.

**Obligator** : Member of a priesthood of the Lord Ruler. Obligators are mostly bureaucrats. They are the eyes and ears of the Lord Ruler among the nobility and the skaa. They watch over every transaction, witness every important event et cetera.

**Ortwin Leary, Lady** : A noblewoman living on the Leary plantation. Wife of Benten Leary.

**Pewterarm** : An Allomancer who can burn pewter to enhance the Allomancer's physical abilities. The Allomancer grows stronger, can endure more and heals faster.

**Prelan** : Ministry title for an obligator

**Pull (Pulling)** : Allomantic ability. The Allomancer can Pull on metals or emotions for instance. Opposite of Pushing.

**Purill** : One of Ham's Pewterarms

**Push (Pushing)** : Ability of an Allomancer like a Coinshot. Opposite of Pulling.

**Regrac** : A game of stones. Usually played by two people, but can be extended to four people.

**Rena** : Sister of Mardra. She is a tea specialist and leads the herb shop that was Alana's front during her time in Luthadel.

**Rioter (Riot, Rioting)** : An Allomancer who can Pull on a person's specific emotion to enflame it. A Rioter can burn zinc.

**Ronan** : A millworker in Luthadel. Late husband of Kayla and friend of Alana. He saved Alana's life but died himself in the progress.

**Sazed:** A former member of Kelsier's crew. He is Terrisman and a Terris Keeper.

**Seeker:** An Allomancer who can burn bronze and hear and locate Allomantic pulses. While burning a metal an Allomancer emits a pulsing with a specific frequency.

**Skaa** : The peasantry of the Final Empire. All skaa were regarded as slaves owned by the Lord Ruler. They worked for the nobility. After the Collapse they gain freedom and rights.

**Smoker** : An Allomancer who can burn copper and create a Coppercloud to hide Allomantic pulses. A Seeker cannot pierce a Coppercloud and thereby is not able to hear the Allomantic pulses. A Smoker cannot be affected by Emotional Allomancy.

**Snap (Snapping)** : To come to an Allomantic awakening a person has to live through intense psychological or physiological trauma. Most of the nobility beats their children close to death to make them Snap.

**Soother (Soothe, Soothing)** : An Allomancer who can Push on a person's specific emotion to dampen it. A Soother burns Brass.

**South Searan** : Area around Lake South Searan in the Eastern Dominance, bordering the Crescent Dominance and the Remote Dominance

**Straff Venture, Lord** : Head of House Venture. A very powerful and ruthless nobleman, father of Elend Venture. He is a Tineye.

**Swefa** : A skaa elder who lives on the Leary plantation. Mother of Elyria and Harris.

**Terris:** A region in the far north of the Final Empire.

**Terrisman:** A member of the Terris people. Terrisman were the most expansive servants in the Final Empire.

**Thug** : Skaa term for a Pewterarm.

**Tineye** : An Allomancer who can burn tin to enhance the Allomancer's senses. A Tineye can pierce the mists.

**Tiya** : Daughter of Kayla and Ronan.

**Vin:** A very powerful Mistborn. She was trained by Kelsier and killed the Lord Ruler. She and Elend Venture are a couple.

**Vreth Poireen, Lord:** A nobleman living in South Searan. He has a mansion in Curafal.

**Winslow** : Carriage driver and personal servant of Alana Leary. He was with her in Luthadel before. He is skaa, but has the appearance of a noble servant.

 


End file.
